Pokémon X & Y: The Fanfiction
by J.A.Phillips
Summary: Join Calem, Chespin, Serena, Fennekin, Shauna, Froabble, Trevor, Pikachu, Tierno, and Corphish as they trek around the Kalos Region, challenge the Kalos Pokémon League, and do battle with the evil Team Flare!
1. 1st Battle: Chespin Overgrows!

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ **I do not own Pokémon. Pokémon is published and owned by Japanese video game company Nintendo, and was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996.**

**The following is a loose novelization of the events of the video games Pokémon X & Y. Several events, lines of dialogue, and Pokémon owned by the characters will therefore be different. As such, here are a few ground rules...**

**1) No Pokémon will appear that are not otherwise seen in the Kalos Pokédex.**  
**2) No Fakemon or fan-made attacks, abilities, or Mega Evolutions of any kind.**  
**3) Pokémon will only use attacks from their Generation VI move-pools, and while I'll generally be ignoring method of learning attacks (level-up, TM/HM, breeding, etc.), Pokémon will only be able to know up to four moves total at a time. If a ****Pokémon uses an Egg Move, they are barred from using any Egg Moves that can't be learned from the same parent.**  
4) Fan-made characters will either resemble Trainers battled in the game, or will have clothes and styles obtainable for customizing the main protagonists, and **Pokémon obtainable within Kalos.  
5) No references to anime-exclusive characters or events, though certain aspects of it may be borrowed for the sake of story-telling (battle styles and so on).**

* * *

Vaniville Town. A small town to the south of the Kalos Region, home to only a few small houses. It could best be described as 'that place no one goes unless they have friends or family there'. It is known by travelers as 'a town whose flower is about to bloom'. For Grace Xavier, though, this town was just the perfect place to retire from all of the fame and hubbub of being a famous Rhyhorn racer. Her son, Calem, didn't have much in the way of objections, and this was a way for them both to see more of the world, which was more than enough to entice him. He was a natural born explorer and adventurer, just like his father.

Unfortunately, like his father, the young teen liked to sleep in pretty late, and thus was terrible to rely on with the chores. Grace rolled her eyes, the brunette stifling the urge to giggle as she watched her Fletchling, a Tiny Robin Pokémon with red and gray feathers, fly up the stairwell to Calem's room. Fletchling, being a bit of an early bird herself, wasn't much for the idea of others sleeping in until 10 AM, and was a bit forceful in making sure they didn't. After a few moments, there was a sudden high-pitched chirp, a yelp, and the sound of something (or someone, as Grace guessed) falling to the floor.

"Morning!" Grace called as she heard the door open after a few minutes.

Calem came down the stairs slowly, rubbing his gray eyes. His black hair was a horrid mess, but then, he'd just gotten up, and that was never his #1 priority. He was wearing his white t-shirt, blue jeans, and black ankle socks. Fletchling swooped past his head, chirping mischievously and thus earning a dirty look from the boy.

"I swear, sometimes, I think Rhyhorn would produce a better wake-up call than her," Calem snarked.

"So, all rested up from the move?" Grace asked, getting a quick nod. "Good! Breakfast should be ready soon. Until then, why don't you go outside and check on Rhyhorn, go for a jog, maybe say hello to the new neighbours?"

Calem rolled his eyes, fetching his blue jacket from the coat rack and zipping it up over his t-shirt. "Seriously? First thing in the morning?"

"It's important to keep a healthy body up," Grace lectured as she tended to her stew while her son put his black boots on. "Now you run along, and before you know it, breakfast will be ready."

"Sure, sure..." Calem said with a sigh, opening the front door. "...'Say hello to the neighbours'. 'Cuz I'm really sure they'll be friendly to someone they've never met."

Taking one step out the door, Calem's jaw nearly hit the ground. Standing in the walkway to his new home, right next to where Rhyhorn was resting, were the two most gorgeous girls he'd ever seen in person. One was a girl about a year or two younger than him, with brown hair and dark green eyes, wearing a pink and black t-shirt with matching high heel shoes, blue short shorts, and carrying a white, pink, and black bag over her shoulder. The other looked almost exactly Calem's age, if not a little older, with long, honey-coloured hair and gray eyes, and wearing a red and black high-waisted outfit, a red felt hat with a white ribbon, and black high top shoes and stockings. They both eyed him curiously, with rather friendly-looking smiles.

"Hello there!" the honey-haired girl greeted him. "You're the new boy in town, right?"

Calem nodded, closing his jaw with his hand and getting a giggle from the girl. "Welcome to Vaniville Town. My name's Serena. I'm your new neighbour, and-"

"And I'm Shauna!" the other girl cut in, grabbing Calem by the hand and shaking it hard. "Great to meet you!"

"Uh, likewise," Calem replied, giving his wrist a shake after the younger girl released it.

"Guess what?" Shauna exclaimed, pointing a finger at the boy. "We've come to get you!"

Calem sweatdropped, feeling confused and even a little threatened. "HUH?"

"Sorry, I'll explain," Serena responded, pulling Shauna back and passing an envelope to Calem. "The esteemed Professor Sycamore lives here in Kalos. He had a very important request for five kids living nearby, including the two of us. He also asked for you specifically."

Calem opened the envelope and read the letter, recognizing the official seal of the Pokémon Researchers' Guild right away as Serena went on. "I have to admit, though, I'm a bit surprised that he even knows who you are. You DID just move here to Vaniville, right?"

"He's an old friend," Calem suddenly heard his mother say, having overheard the conversation. She snatched the letter from her son's hands, reading it over. "Yes, this is DEFINITELY Augustine's handwriting. Still, I wonder why he didn't just call?"

"Serenaaaaaaa!" Shauna whined. "You're forgetting the best part: We're going to get a POKÉMON!"

Suddenly, Calem's eyes shot wide open, and his lips curled into a smile that spread practically from ear to ear. All traces of drowsiness that he'd once had were completely gone from his face, and the two girls could've sworn there were sparkles in his eyes.

"A-A-A Pokémon?! I'm getting a Pokémon from Professor Sycamore?!" Calem shouted, waking up Rhyhorn rather rudely.

"Oh!" Grace exclaimed, nearly dropping the letter. "It says here he's looking for five kids to help him in his research! As an automatic reward, three of you will each be receiving a Pokémon for your own use!"

Calem stood completely still, stunned into silence. This was the chance of a lifetime, to do field work for Professor Sycamore, AND get his first Pokémon to boot. But at the same time, it meant leaving home, just after moving in. Before he could make up his mind, though, Fletchling suddenly swooped over, dropping a red and white cap on Calem's head. Rhyhorn then stomped over and nudged him toward Shauna and Serena, looking somewhat amused at the black haired boy's inability to make up his mind.

Grace giggled a little. "Well, it seems my Pokémon know what you should do."

Calem spun around to face his mother. "What about you, Mom?"

Grace sighed, smiling sadly. "If you really and truly want to go, then go. Just promise me that you'll swing by whenever possible. In fact, it might be a good idea if you headed straight back as soon as you got your Pokémon. After all, I want to meet all your new friends."

Calem nodded, grinning so hard he felt like his face could pop. "Alright then! Let's go-"

Before Calem could finish, the group was suddenly treated to the very loud sound of Calem's stomach gurgling. The boy's face practically turned neon red from embarrassment, and Shauna had to bite her lip to keep from giggling.

"Eheh, maybe I should eat something first?" Calem suggested, sweat-dropping.

* * *

Sitting at a picnic table in the middle of Aquacorde Town, a young boy with ginger hair and gray eyes was waiting patiently for his friends to return, tapping his fingers across the wooden table. Resting with his green backpack on the table next to him was a Pikachu, watching as the boy became increasingly agitated from waiting. Pikachu, knowing his trainer pretty well, knew that waiting around wasn't his strong suit, and he was maybe a few minutes away from snapping. It wasn't helping that, a few feet away, a somewhat rotund-looking boy with black hair, brown eyes, and wearing a black Vanilite t-shirt was dancing with his Corphish to rather loud, obnoxious music.

"C'mon, Trevor, you don't HAFTA sit and wait!" the larger boy suggested. "Come join the fun!"

Trevor sighed hard, turning his head slowly to face his friend. "Tierno, do you ever think of anything besides dancing?"

"Nope!" Tierno replied honestly. "Nothing keeps a Trainer and his Pokémon in sync better than sharing the rhythm!"

Corphish chirped in positive response, causing Trevor to drop his forehead to the table hard. Pikachu's shoulders slumped a little, watching this unfold, until his ear twitched, causing him to turn to face the entrance to Aquacorde Town. Sure enough, there was Serena, Shauna, and a boy he'd never seen, possibly the one they were out to find.

"Chu-ka!" Pikachu exclaimed to Trevor, getting his trainer's attention.

Trevor groaned, getting up as the three made their way over. "FINALLY! It's been like an hour! Vaniville Pathway CAN'T be THAT long!"

Serena smiled nervously. "Sorry, we lost track of the time! Mrs. Xavier had stew on, and we didn't want to be rude, so-"

Trevor looked ready to explode, until Calem suddenly handed him a microwave container full of his mother's stew. "Peace offering?"

Trevor rolled his eyes, taking the dish. "Well, at least he's nice enough to the people he inconveniences. Name's Trevor."

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu greeted happily, hopping up onto Trevor's shoulder.

"I'm Calem," Calem replied. "Sorry again."

"Hey there, Calem!" Tierno said as he walked over, Corphish shuffling along with him. "I'm Tierno!"

Calem smiled, looking to handshake Tierno, only to get a bizarre shake, slap, and fist bump combo from the larger boy. "Uh, pleasure to meet you."

"Anyway, now that we're all here, can we PLEASE get on with this?" Trevor demanded.

Serena nodded, the group assembling back at the picnic table. "Trevor's right, we should get this started. So, first off, the devices the Professor gave us?"

Trevor unzipped his bag, pulling out five card-like devices, each in a different colour: A blue one for Calem, a red one for Serena, pink for Shauna, orange for Tierno, and green for himself. "The Pokédex will grant and record information on any Pokémon we see from here on out."

Calem scratched the back of his head, unsure how the Pokédex could do that, but decided to test it out. Holding it up to face Pikachu, he pressed a button on its side, causing the device to suddenly expand, the two ends separated by a holographic looking centre that showed the image of Pikachu and listed several stats about it, like its known attacks and current stats.

"_Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pichu,_" the Pokédex's automated voice spoke. "_It possesses small electric sacs on both of its cheeks. If threatened, it looses electric charges from the sacs._"

"Wow, that's pretty neat!" Calem exclaimed, closing the Pokédex.

"Aaaaaaaaannnnnnnnd, now for the BIG gift!" Shauna cheered impatiently. "C'mon, I wanna meet my partner soon!"

Trevor rolled his eyes, turning to Tierno. The larger boy reached under the table and brought out a large cylinder, containing three red and white spheres inside. Calem, Shauna, and Serena admired them with barely contained, or in the case of Shauna, not contained at all, glee.

"Since me and Trevor already have Pokémon of our own, we decided to let you three pick which ones you wanted from these three," Tierno declared. "I'm not really sure which Poké Ball has which Pokémon inside, though, but-"

"Well, what do you say we just check 'em out?" Calem suggested, getting up and grabbing one, tossing it into the air. The Poké Ball opened with a flash of light, releasing a green and brown hedgehog-like Pokémon. It shook its head hard, looking like it'd been cramped in that ball for a bit too long, before smiling at Calem as their eyes met.

"Guess that works for me!" Serena proclaimed, springing up and throwing a Poké Ball skyward. It popped open to unleash an orange and red fox Pokémon, who took one look at Serena and immediately jumped into her arms, nuzzling against her chest.

"And Shauna makes three!" Shauna cheered, leaping to her feet and tossing the last ball into the air. It opened as a blue and white frog Pokémon blasted out in a flash of light, landing on Shauna's head. She was startled at first, but giggled in amusement at the Pokémon's antics.

"Well, guess that answers that question," Trevor noted as the three new Trainers opened their Pokédexes, scanning the three Pokémon.

"Fennekin, the Fox Pokémon," Serena's Pokédex read aloud. "Eating a twig fills it with energy, and its roomy ears give vent to air hotter than 390 degrees Fahrenheit."

"Chespin, the Spiky Nut Pokémon," Calem's Pokédex described. "Such a thick shell of wood covers its head and back that even a direct hit from a truck wouldn't faze it."

"Froakie, the Bubble Frog Pokémon," Shauna's Pokédex explained. "It protects its skin by covering its body in delicate bubbles. Beneath its happy-go-lucky air, it keeps a watchful eye on its surroundings."

"Wow, they sound so cool!" Calem exclaimed, scooping up Chespin in his arms. "Yeah, I'm definitely sticking with this one!"

Serena and Shauna nodded, the latter of whom suddenly started jumping up and down excitedly. "Ooh! Ooh! Calem! We should have a battle!"

Calem blinked in surprise, as did Chespin. "A-A battle?"

"That's right!" Shauna declared as she and her Froakie pointed fingers at the two. "You two are gonna be the opponents for me and Froabble's Pokémon-battling debut!"

Trevor's eyes narrowed as his shoulders slumped. "You gave him a nickname?"

"What, I think it's cool?" Shauna defended, her Froakie nodding in approval.

"What do you think, Chespin?" Calem asked the small Pokémon in his arms, who thumped his chest in confidence. "Okay then, let's do it!"

* * *

A few minutes later, the group had relocated to Route 1, the Vaniville Pathway. After drawing a square make-shift battlefield in the dirt, Serena and Tierno made their way to the sidelines with Pikachu, Fennekin, and Corphish, while Trevor stood in the centre of the field, Calem and Chespin to his right side and Shauna and her Froakie to the left.

"Okay, obviously one Pokémon to each side!" Trevor explained, going over the rules of the battle. "When one Trainer's Pokémon is rendered unable to battle, the opposing Trainer and their Pokémon will be declared the winners! Shauna, you won the coin toss on the way here, so you get to make the first move!"

"Alrighty then! Froabble, use Bubble!" Shauna yelled as Trevor got out of the way. At this command, Shauna's Froakie leaped up into the air, opening his mouth wide. With a loud croak, he sprayed a foam of bubbles at Chespin.

"Chespin, dodge and use Vine Whip!" Calem shouted. Chespin jumped to his side, a pair of vines protruding from the sides of his head. The vines swiped through the bubbles with ease before whipping Froabble hard, knocking him back to the ground.

"Froabble, are you okay?!" Shauna asked, getting a nod from the Bubble Frog Pokémon. "Okay then, use Double Team!"

Froabble smirked, his body glowing with a white outline as he began to vibrate. Suddenly, in a matter of moments, where there was once only one Froakie, there were now three, all smirking confidently at Chespin, who looked confused, not knowing which one was the real Froabble.

"Oh crap!" Calem cursed. "Which one's the real one?!"

"Froabble, Quick Attack!" Shauna ordered, the Froakie trio splitting up before running toward Chespin from each side, giving him a high-speed tackle, sending him tumbling across the battlefield.

"Wow, that Froakie has some tricky moves!" Serena exclaimed. "Calem and Chespin could be in a pinch here!"

"Counter with Tackle!" Calem yelled. Chespin sprung back to his feet, tackling into the nearest Froakie, only for it to fade away. Before it could turn to face the other two, though, they tackled into him from either side, Chespin being sent falling on his face.

_Dammit, this isn't going well!_ Calem thought. _Gotta figure out which one's the real one, but how?_

Chespin groaned as he used his small paws to get back to his feet, Trevor checking to make sure it could go on. Chespin put on a face of sheer determination, despite being low on health. The Froakie twins quickly came to a screeching halt on either side of the battlefield, facing him from the front and back. Seeing this, Calem's eyes went wide as he realized how to beat their strategy, just in time as they rushed at Chespin.

"Chespin, use Vine Whip straight down!" Calem ordered, much to the shock of everyone else. Chespin didn't quite understand, but did as ordered, cracking his vines down. As he did, though, his body had begun to glow green, and the sheer force of slapping his vines down to the ground sent him skyward.

"Whoa, Chespin's Overgrow Ability just activated!" Tierno noted as the Spiny Nut Pokémon flew up. From above, Chespin watched as the two Bubble Frog Pokémon collided with each other, the one attacking from his front vanishing. This left one, the real Froabble, looking around dumbfoundedly.

"Froabble, above you!" Shauna warned. "Bubble!"

"Chespin, Vine Whip!" Calem shouted. The two Pokémon launched their attacks, but the massive jet of bubbles stood no chance, as Overgrow increased the power of Chespin's vines to such a degree that they popped every last bubble before smacking into Shauna's Froakie. The Bubble Frog Pokémon stumbled around a little before collapsing to the ground, swirls in his eyes.

"Froakie is unable to battle!" Trevor declared, raising his right hand as Chespin landed back on the field. "The winner is Chespin!"

"Alright!" Calem cheered, Chespin leaping up to give him a high five. "Good going, Chespin!"

"Froabble, are you alright?" Shauna asked, scooping up her Froakie, smiling as he came to. "You did great out there, little guy!"

"That was a great battle, you guys," Serena said as the others all came over.

Shauna nodded, looking to Calem. "You're amazing, Calem!"

"Aw, thanks, Shauna," Calem replied with a blush, scratching the back of his head and accepting a handshake from Shauna, Chespin doing the same for Froakie. "Still, a lot of that was probably beginner's luck."

Trevor scratched his chin, Pikachu mirroring his stance from atop his Trainer's shoulder. Wow, Calem sure handled Chespin pretty well for a first-time Trainer. That level of skill can't just be learned on the fly, unless...Wait, did Serena call his mother 'Mrs. Xavier'?

"GAH!" Trevor yelled, knocking Pikachu off of his shoulder. "HOLD ON A SECOND! IS YOUR MOM _**GRACE XAVIER?!** _THE FAMOUS RHYHORN RACER?!"

Calem blinked. "...Oh, did I forget to mention that?"

"You...I...Wha...It's...!" Trevor stammered, his face turning so red that he looked like it could explode at any minute. "_**I'VE GOTTA MEET HER!**_"

"Well, I was actually gonna head back home to grab some supplies, so if you wa-HEY!" Calem yelped as Trevor suddenly got behind him and started shoving him along the path back to Vaniville Town.

"C'mon, you Slowpoke!" Trevor shouted. "I've GOT to meet your mom, and I need you to introduce us, so let's GO!"

The rest of the group watched as the ginger boy pushed poor Calem along the route, like someone wanting to get premiere autographs from Cynthia or something. Pikachu sat up off the ground, stunned at first, but just exhaled in exasperation, knowing that, chances were, this was going to be a LOOOOOOOOOOONNNGG journey across Kalos.

* * *

**Pokémon Spotlight!**

Calem's Chespin  
Ability: Overgrow  
Gender: Male  
Nature: Bold  
Characteristic: Good endurance  
Attacks: Vine Whip, Tackle

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTES:_** So, welcome to my loose novelization of Pokémon X & Y Versions. I'd been juggling the idea of doing another Pokémon story (this is not my first attempt at it) for a while now, and decided to go with the X & Y novelization since I really like the cast of main characters, and there's not really all that much I need to tinker or tweak for them. As I stated above, there's a few ground rules in play for this, so if you skipped over them before, I suggest you go back and read them. Updates will be random, as I'm currently writing a few different fanfics at once. Basically, when a good idea hits me for a story, I write it. If I get stuck, I put it aside and come back to it later.

About the main cast's appearances. With a couple of exceptions, they all appear as they would normally in the games. The only big differences is that I went with Serena's hair from the anime, I did away with the glasses on her and Calem's hats, she's wearing the white ribbon accessory for her hat, and he's wearing the red logo cap you can buy in Santalune City, as well as the white logo t-shirt under his jacket. If any changes to their costumes occur, I will make it clear as it happens.

And, because I know people that don't follow me elsewhere will have fandom-related questions, let's just get them all out of the way: My favourite Pokémon is Poliwhirl (which is funny, as it is also Satoshi Tajiri's, and we've both been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome). I currently own Pokémon FireRed, Emerald, Colosseum, Pearl, Platinum, SoulSilver, Battle Revolution, Black, Black 2, Conquest, and X, though I did previously own most of the Game Boy and GBC games. I do not have a favourite version of the games, and while I do believe the newer ones tend to be a bit easier, I don't think that diminishes their quality in any way. I've just recently beaten Pokémon X's main story. I am a casual fan of some of the manga titles, and I currently own Volumes 1-5 of Diamond & Pearl Adventures. I haven't played the TCG in years (at least not the current physical card game), but I have played it online once or twice, and I rather like what they've done with it. I am currently abstaining from watching anything new about the anime, as I've found it to be lacking in quality or direction, specifically that they never let Ash grow the hell up, and I honestly wish that Origins had replaced it, as it was only four episodes long and yet was superior to the main anime in every way...though I will admit, the current Japanese theme is catchy as all hell. And I'm still waiting for evolutions, pre-evolutions, or even Mega Evolutions for Farfetch'd, Luvdisc, Delibird, and Dunsparce.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed, be sure to give me some feedback, and hopefully it won't be too long until my next update. Ja né!


	2. Battle 2: The Rock Headed Rhyhorn!

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ **I do not own Pokémon. Pokémon is published and owned by Japanese video game company Nintendo, and was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996.**

**The following is a loose novelization of the events of the video games Pokémon X & Y. Several events, lines of dialogue, and Pokémon owned by the characters will therefore be different.**

* * *

Grace Xavier smiled and waved from the door as she watched Calem and his small group of new friends approach the walkway to the house. One boy in particular, one who had ginger hair and a Pikachu resting on his shoulder, seemed rather excited to see her. He quickly jogged ahead of the group and stopped before her, stretching his hand out.

"It's so wonderful to meet you, Mrs. Xavier!" the boy declared. "My name is Trevor, and this is my partner, Pikachu!"

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu squeaked cutely.

"And you've already met Serena and Shauna," Trevor said, pointing back to the girls as they gave tiny waves, "and that's Tierno in the back!"

"Sure, he's polite to HER," Calem muttered, getting a giggle from the girls and an exasperated sigh from Tierno.

"Let me just say, I'm a huge fan of yours!" Trevor explained, shaking Grace's hand. "You're a wonderful Rhyhorn racer and trainer!"

Grace blushed slightly, embarrassed that her fame still managed to catch up with her here. "Well, it's always nice to meet a fan."

"And I assume this is your prized Rhyhorn?" Trevor asked, looking to the Ground/Rock-type laying lazily a few feet away.

"You assume correctly," Grace confirmed. "C'mere, old girl."

Rhyhorn huffed as she stomped over. Trevor knelt down, observing the rather large, lumbering Pokémon with awe. Pikachu gently climbed up onto her back, causing her to roll her eyes and shuffle about a bit, giving the Electric-type a ride. The others all smiled at this, Tierno pulling out his Pokédex and scanning the Rhyhorn.

"_Rhyhorn, the Spikes Pokémon,_" the Pokédex read aloud. "_This Pokémon can shatter even a skyscraper with its charging Tackles, though it can only charge and run in one direction, due to its lack of making sharp turns with its four short legs._"

"Sounds like a real powerhouse," Tierno said, closing his Pokédex. "Can't believe they're used for races, though."

"Oh, you'd be surprised how much speed Rhyhorn can pick up when they're trained properly," Grace proclaimed.

"Wow, I see you kept her back nice and smoothed out," Trevor observed.

Shauna tilted her head, confused. "Is that really important?"

"I...think?" Serena replied, though not really sure.

"Well, most saddles don't fit full-grown Rhyhorn, unless they're specially made," Calem explained. "So, Mom had to polish and smooth the scales on her Rhyhorn regularly. Otherwise, riding her could be really painful, and if the rider is having troubles in races, it could affect the Rhyhorn too."

"Well, I see some of the knowledge I drilled into your skull actually managed to stay in there," Grace joked, giving her son a noogie. "By the way, where's your new Pokémon?"

"Oh, right!" Calem exclaimed as his mother released him, reaching to his belt and pulling a Poké Ball free from it. "C'mon, Chespin!"

Chespin popped out of the Poké Ball, landing between the two and giving his chest a small thwap with his paw. Grace smiled widely, scooping up the tiny Grass-type and playfully poking his cheek, causing him to giggle.

"Aw, so adorable!" Grace exclaimed, tickling Calem's new Pokémon.

"...Um, Mrs. Xavier?" Trevor asked, getting back to his feet and taking a big gulp. "Th-There's something I'd like to ask for."

"Oh great, he's gonna ask for her autograph of something," Calem groaned.

"No!" Trevor shot back, annoyed. "Actually, I wanna know, if it's alright, that is...Well, I CHALLENGE YOU TO A BATTLE!"

The group's jaws simultaneously dropped at this declaration, causing Trevor to blush a little. "S-Sorry, it's just, I'm about to embark on an important mission for a well-renowned figure in the field of Pokémon research. I'm probably going to be involved in a lot of battles from here on out, and...Well, I need to know how I stack up against an experienced, traveled veteran like you, Mrs. Xavier!"

Grace stood stunned in surprise for a few moments before she let Trevor's words set in, causing her to smile sweetly. "Ha ha. Alright, Trevor. I accept your challenge!"

Calem's eyes widened in shock. "Holy crap...Mom's actually gonna BATTLE!"

"Are you sure she can beat Trevor, though?" Serena asked. "I mean, she IS retired."

Grace, having overheard, gave a confident smirk to the honey-haired teenager. "I may be old, but I can still throw down with the best of them."

* * *

A few minutes later, the group was assembled in the backyard, which had been reconverted into a battlefield of sorts. Calem, Shauna, and Tierno all sat on a bench, along with their Pokémon, who all observed along with their Trainers. Fennekin was also among them, as Serena served as referee. To her right side was Trevor, Pikachu standing alongside him, while Grace stood to Serena's left side, having recalled her Pokémon to a pair of Great Balls.

"Okay!" Serena called out. "This will be a 2-on-2 Singles Battle, meaning only one Pokémon out at a time! You can substitute Pokémon whenever you want! The first trainer to render both of their opponent's Pokémon unable to battle wins! Mrs. Xavier-"

Grace giggled, rolling her eyes. "Serena, you're the referee. You can just call me Grace."

"...Grace," Serena corrected herself, "as you won the coin toss, you can choose to send your first Pokémon out before or after Trevor."

"Then I'll go first," Grace said confidently, pulling out a Great Ball and hurling it over the battlefield. "Fletchling, go!"

With a burst of light, the Great Ball popped open, releasing Grace's Fletchling. Trevor smirked, motioning for Pikachu to enter first for him. Curious about Mrs. Xavier's first choice, Shauna pulled out her Pokédex, scanning the Normal/Flying-type.

"_Fletchling, the Tiny Robin Pokémon,_" Shauna's Pokédex described. "_These friendly Pokémon send signals to one another with beautiful chirps and tail-feather movements. Despite the beauty of its lilting voice, it's merciless to intruders that enter its territory._"

"Pikachu, let's finish this first round quick!" Trevor declared. "Use Thunder Shock!"

As Pikachu started to charge up voltage for his attack, Grace threw a hand out and called, "Fletchling, Acrobatics!" Before Pikachu could unleashed his Thunder Shock, he was rammed into by Fletchling, who was moving so fast that she left after-images of herself as she flew through the air. Trying desperately to get his bearings straight, Pikachu fired the small bolt of electricity at the Normal/Flying-type, just barely clipping her tail-feathers.

"Whoa, it's fast!" Tierno exclaimed.

_Crap, that Fletchling must have Gale Wings for her Ability,_ Trevor realized. _That means her Flying-type moves will land hits before most attacks can get going. I'll have to fight speed vs speed, then!_

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Trevor ordered, Pikachu dashing at Fletchling fast with a white streak of light streaming behind him.

"Fletchling, Quick Guard!" Grace shouted, Fletchling landing and stretching her wings out in front of herself. As Pikachu was about to make contact, a red shield surrounded Fletchling, knocking him back. "Sorry, Trevor, but you'll have to try a lot harder than that to beat me!"

"So, her Fletchling can use priority attacks, and STOP priority attacks too?!" Shauna demanded, getting a nod from Calem.

"Part of what Fletchling so tough to beat is that she gets in your head and does her best to piss you off," Calem explained. "Once that happens, you start to make mistakes. And that's exactly why, 9 times outta 10, Mom likes to lead with her."

"Fletchling, Overheat!" Grace called, her Fletchling going airborne again and glowing red as she powered up an intense Fire-type move.

"Dodge and use Rock Smash!" Trevor shouted, Pikachu leaping ahead and to the right as Fletchling wheezed out a massive stream of orange-yellow fire, the Electric-type just barely able to maneuver around it. He then sprung at Fletchling, stretching out his tail as it glowed red-orange.

"Chuuu-Pika!" Pikachu cried as he swung his tail at the Tiny Robin Pokémon. The attack collided hard, knocking Fletchling to the ground as she felt her physical defense lower a bit.

"Now, follow up with Quick Attack!" Trevor yelled.

"Fletchling, Acrobatics!" Grace commanded. The two Pokémon slammed into each other hard and fast, both looking to be equally matched in speed. However, the lowered physical defense, coupled with Pikachu's resistance to Flying-type attacks, caused Fletchling to feel a bit more pain in the long run than her opponent. Making matters worse, as soon as the two separated, Fletchling felt a small crackle of electricity across her body as it stiffened up a bit.

"What the heck?" Tierno demanded.

"Pikachu's Static!" Trevor explained with a grin. "Attacking him head on is a big mistake, since physical contact with Pikachu when he's charged for battle can sometimes result in paralysis!"

"Fletchling, try to shake it off!" Grace shrieked, Fletchling trying to get her body to move.

"Pikachu, Thunder Shock!" Trevor ordered.

"Pikaaa-Chuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu cried, sending a blast of electricity that hit Fletchling hard. The Tiny Robin Pokémon fell to the ground, swirls in her eyes as she was knocked out.

"Fletchling is unable to battle!" Serena called, raising her right hand.

"Fletchling, return!" Grace yelled, raising Fletchling's Great Ball up and recalling her in a flash of red light. "Good job, now rest up."

"Wow, your mom's Fletchling held up pretty well against Pikachu," Shauna observed, "and now he's pretty worn out."

"Yep, and we know who's next," Calem replied with a smirk. "Man, I can't wait to see this."

"Okay Rhyhorn, let's go!" Grace shouted, tossing Rhyhorn's Great Ball out and unleashing the Ground/Rock-type to the field. "Your Electric and Normal-type attacks won't do much here, Trevor!"

"Not a problem!" Trevor yelled back with a smile. "Pikachu, Dig!"

"Pik!" Pikachu squeaked, leaping up into the air before using his paws to dig a tunnel underground.

Grace just smirked in amusement. "An underground assault, huh? Rhyhorn, if you please?"

Rhyhorn huffed, raising one of her forelegs up lazily. Then, with a force the likes of which no one was expecting, Rhyhorn drove her foot into the ground so hard that it sent a shockwave throughout the battlefield, sending Pikachu flying out of the ground.

"Was that an Earthquake attack?!" Tierno demanded.

"No, it was just a Stomp!" Calem yelled. "If Mom's Rhyhorn had used Earthquake, she could've caved in the whole backyard!"

"Pikachu, Rock Smash!" Trevor ordered, Pikachu preparing the Fighting-type move as he fell towards the ground.

"Rhyhorn, Take Down!" Grace commanded, Rhyhorn's eyes locking onto the Mouse Pokémon. With a speed that none but Grace or Calem could've seen coming from such a usually lazy Pokémon, Rhyhorn nearly flew across the field, slamming into Pikachu hard and knocking him out cold.

"HOLY CRAP!" Serena yelled. "I-I mean, Pikachu is unable to battle!"

"Pikachu, return!" Trevor shouted, recalling Pikachu into his Poké Ball. "Oh man, you better rest up, Pikachu, and let me handle the rest!"

Tierno blinked, observing Rhyhorn. "...Hold on, doesn't Take Down usually do damage to the user?"

"Not in this case," Grace explained, having overheard. "My Rhyhorn's Ability is Rock Head. That means she can use moves like Take Down without suffering recoil damage."

_Dammit, she's SO good!_ Trevor thought, smiling a little despite the jam he was in. _All of her Pokémon have been raised to make the best of their Abilities and cover their natural weaknesses! It's a lot like how I trained Pikachu to be able to overcome his weakness to Ground-types!_

"Pretty impressive, huh?" Grace asked, hand on her hip. "When I first met my Rhyhorn, she was as slow as a Shuckle and as lazy as a Snorlax. But now, when she has her game face on, she's the fastest Rhyhorn in the whole world, with plenty of power to boot."

"Well, I'm not giving up!" Trevor yelled, pulling out a new Poké Ball. "Flabébé, go!"

Hurling the Poké Ball, Trevor unleashed his second Pokémon: A white and green Pokémon so tiny that it was riding on a blue flower floating in the air. Calem's eye twitched in surprise at how small it was, digging out his Pokédex and hoping the scanner would actually be able to detect it. Surely enough, though, it was able to pull up its data.

"_Flabébé, the Single Bloom Pokémon,_" the Pokédex said. "_It draws out and controls the hidden power of flowers. When it finds a flower it likes, it wil dwell on that flower for its entire life._"

"He's sending that tiny little thing out to battle?!" Calem demanded.

"Don't underestimate Trevor's Flabébé," Tierno said with a grin. "She might be tiny, but that Fairy-type's packing some serious power."

Calem blinked, confused. "...What's a Fairy-type?"

"They're a new type of Pokémon that Professor Sycamore discovered," Shauna explained. "They're usually kind of small, cutesy, or otherwise not very powerful looking, but they possess powers the likes of which no other Pokémon has ever known."

"Flabébé, Magical Leaf!" Trevor shouted, his small Fairy-type conjuring up light green glowing leaves that shot out at Rhyhorn, actually slicing her armour-like skin.

"Rhyhorn, Fire Fang!" Grace called, Rhyhorn opening her jaws wide as her teeth were coated with flames. She then bit down on the leaves as they flew back in to attack again, incinerating them in her mouth and then spitting out the ashes. "Follow up with Take Down!"

"Flabébé, Protect!" Trevor ordered, the Single Bloom Pokémon erecting a green force field around herself. Rhyhorn rammed into it hard, but she couldn't pierce the force field.

"Stomp!" Grace shouted.

"Protect again!" Trevor yelled as Rhyhorn raised her forelegs. Flabébé once again brought up a force field, protecting herself as the Spikes Pokémon brought her legs down hard. "Now Nature Power!" Flabébé swung her flower around as she glowed with green energy. The energy soon gathered in the form of an Energy Ball, which the Fairy-type fired at Rhyhorn, knocking her clear across the field.

"Oh crap!" Calem cursed. "Nature Power changes into a different attack depending on the field, and all the grass in this backyard made it into an Energy Ball!"

Grace grinned at Trevor. "Like I thought, you trained your Pokémon just like I did mine: Covering their natural weaknesses and making the best of their unique properties to keep a strategic advantage over the opponent."

Trevor smiled confidently. "It's the only way to win a harsh battle."

"Wrong," Grace replied, much to Trevor's surprise, clenching a fist as Rhyhorn got back to her feet. "It's true, it makes up a lot of the battle, but in my experience, I've found that sometimes, the best way to win a battle is the old fashioned way: By punching your way through!"

At this yell, Rhyhorn rushed forward with a Take Down, catching Trevor off-guard. "Flabébé, Protect!"

Flabébé rushed to put up a force field, managing to stop Rhyhorn's Take Down, but she and Grace weren't done yet. "Fire Fang!"

"Protect again!" Trevor shouted as the Fairy-type began to erect a new force field. This time, however, the force field wasn't able to keep Rhyhorn out, as she bit down hard on it and sent Flabébé spiraling away, burnt and flinching. "Crap! I used Protect too many times!"

"Rhyhorn, Horn Drill!" Grace commanded, Rhyhorn digging her feet into the ground hard as swirling energy built up in her horn. Just as Flabébé managed to regain her bearings, the Ground/Rock-type launched itself, spinning in midair and slamming her horn into the Single Bloom Pokémon. Flabébé was sent tumbling back to the ground, clearly knocked out as well as knocked loopy as Rhyhorn landed back on her feet, huffing a little.

"Flabébé is unable to battle!" Serena called, raising her left hand. "Victory goes to Rhyhorn and Grace!"

"Way to go, Mom!" Calem cheered.

Flabébé rested on her flower, her eyes still spinning and looking like she was gonna be sick. Trevor walked over and gently picked her up in the palms of his hands, smiling down at her. "Flabébé, you did awesome out there." He then looked up at Grace and Rhyhorn, who walked over. "And so did you two. You've still got it, Mrs. Xavier."

Grace winked, smiling ear to ear. "Thanks. You put up a great fight, too. I just know you'll be great inspiration for my son to grow as strong as he can."

* * *

It was a couple of hours later. After having lunch and washing up, the kids were now assembled at the edge of town, Grace and Rhyhorn there to see them off. Calem was now wearing a black and blue bag slung over his shoulder, filled with supplies that his mom had prepared for his journey. Likewise, Serena was also carrying a red tote bag that Grace had once used as a traveling trainer herself back in the day.

"Thanks for the bag, Mrs. Xavier," Serena said politely. "I promise to take good care of it."

"And thanks for the great pointers," Trevor added.

"And the great meal!" Shauna said cheerfully.

"Don't forget the recipe for her awesome stew!" Tierno pointed out.

Grace nodded before looking to Calem with a sad smile. "Well, I suppose it's time, huh?"

"Yeah," Calem replied, fidgeting a little. "...Hey, Mom? When I come back, can we have a battle too? I wanna see if I can get strong enough to beat you."

Grace giggled, giving her son a hug. "I'll look forward to that. I love you, honey."

"I love you too, Mom," Calem said, hugging back before they eventually broke away. "And don't worry, I'll make sure to call you so much, you'll be sick of me."

Grace laughed as Rhyhorn rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh, sure honey. Now get going, before Professor Sycamore has to send a letter saying he changed his mind!"

Calem smiled, turning to the others. "Right. Let's go, guys!"

And with that, the group of five headed out onto Route 1, leaving Grace, Rhyhorn, and Vaniville Town behind. In the back of Calem's head, he knew it was only a matter of time before he began to miss home, but he also knew it would always be there waiting for him, and that this journey was going to be so exciting and so filled with fun and adventure, that he'd have lots to tell his mom when he did. So, what was so terrible about being away from home for a little while in the end, anyway?

With that thought in mind, Calem walked to the front of the group as they got about halfway through the Vaniville Pathway, leading them back to Aquacorde Town. However, as he did so, there was a sudden rush of movement in the trees, followed by a black blur that jolted out and crashed into his skull, causing him to fall on his butt on the paved walkway.

"Ow!" Calem groaned, grabbing his head. "What the hell?!"

Suddenly, as Calem rubbed his head, he felt something fuzzy on his hat. With a yelp, he yanked his hat off and flapped it around, causing the thing that hit him to come flying off. As the others helped him to his feet, he stared at the figure before him: A small, black Bug-type Pokémon. Seeing this, Calem instantly pulled his Pokédex out, scanning the creature.

"_Scatterbug, the Scatterdust Pokémon_," Calem's Pokédex explained. "_It can spew powder out of its body to ward off or disable opponents. It can also cover its own body in the powder to regulate its temperature, so it can live in any region or climate._"

"A Scatterbug, huh?" Serena observed. "Hey, Calem! You should try to catch it!"

Calem blinked in surprise. "Catch it? Really?"

"Sure, the more Pokémon you have on your team, the better," Tierno suggested.

Thinking it over quickly, Calem smiled and nodded. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out one of the empty Poké Balls inside, holding it out confidently as he proclaimed, "Okay, Scatterbug, you're mine!" Scatterbug chirped, leaping up at Calem as he threw the Poké Ball, the rest of the group watching and waiting to see if Calem would be able to pull off his first capture ever.

* * *

**Pokémon Spotlight!**

Trevor's Pikachu  
Ability: Static  
Gender: Male  
Nature: Mild  
Characteristic: Alert to sounds  
Attacks: Thunder Shock, Quick Attack, Rock Smash, Dig

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTES:_** So, first off, you'll notice I added something in between the end of each chapter and before my usual Author's Notes. If you haven't seen it already, I added one for Calem's Chespin in chapter 1. It's just a fun little spotlight, meant to showcase a Pokémon seen in this story. Most will focus on Pokémon that played a significant role in each chapter, but I'll also be trying to give everyone a fair shot at having one, so it's entirely possible one might be shown without ever appearing in the same chapter. Also, while Pokémon will inevitably learn new and different attacks, only the more commonly used ones up to that point will be shown, and they will not get a second spotlight unless they evolve.

As far as some changes I made, Trevor's Flabébé is riding a blue flower instead of a red one to keep it distinct in colour from Pikachu, and because Flabébé are almost always seen riding red flowers in trainer battles in the game, so I wanted to have some variety. Also, I know that Grace was a Rhyhorn racer and was never really alluded to as being a trainer, but I thought it'd be a cool idea to add that, and it's just nice to see the main protagonist's mom kick some ass. lol

About Pikachu. I'm sorry if anyone is irritated by the fact that it uses the same sort of Pika Speech as Ash's Pikachu, but I thought I'd add that in for fun. And I know some people are annoyed by Pikachu, but don't worry, while this Pikachu has some similar traits, they are not the same. Trevor's Pikachu will be using different moves from Ash's, as demonstrated already, and while I'm not necessarily planning to do so right away, I'm not against having it evolve into Raichu at some point.

And, just because I feel like pointing this out in case people don't already bleeding know, it was announced that Pokémon is going to be on Netflix soon (or may already be, depending on when you're reading this). I'm a bit excited about that. Yeah, the newer seasons kind of annoy me at times, but having the older seasons and all my old favourite episodes available to watch when I want in whatever order I want? AWESOME.

Anyway, check in next time to see if Calem's able to catch a Scatterbug, followed by the gang making their way toward Santalune Forest. Ja né!


	3. Battle 3: Who's The Top Percent?

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ **I do not own Pokémon. Pokémon is published and owned by Japanese video game company Nintendo, and was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996.**

**The following is a loose novelization of the events of the video games Pokémon X & Y. Several events, lines of dialogue, and Pokémon owned by the characters will therefore be different.**

* * *

Calem walked to the front of the group as they got about halfway through the Vaniville Pathway, leading them back to Aquacorde Town. However, as he did so, there was a sudden rush of movement in the trees, followed by a black blur that jolted out and crashed into his skull, causing him to fall on his butt on the paved walkway.

"Ow!" Calem groaned, grabbing his head. "What the hell?!"

Suddenly, as Calem rubbed his head, he felt something fuzzy on his hat. With a yelp, he yanked his hat off and flapped it around, causing the thing that hit him to come flying off. As the others helped him to his feet, he stared at the figure before him: A small, black Bug-type Pokémon. Seeing this, Calem instantly pulled his Pokédex out, scanning the creature.

"_Scatterbug, the Scatterdust Pokémon_," Calem's Pokédex explained. "_It can spew powder out of its body to ward off or disable opponents. It can also cover its own body in the powder to regulate its temperature, so it can live in any region or climate._"

"A Scatterbug, huh?" Serena observed. "Hey, Calem! You should try to catch it!"

Calem blinked in surprise. "Catch it? Really?"

"Sure, the more Pokémon you have on your team, the better," Tierno suggested.

Thinking it over quickly, Calem smiled and nodded. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out one of the empty Poké Balls inside, holding it out confidently as he proclaimed, "Okay, Scatterbug, you're mine!"

Scatterbug chirped, leaping up at Calem as he threw the Poké Ball. The ball collided with the small Bug-type, opening up and pulling the Pokémon inside with a flash of light. It then flew back and bashed Calem between the eyes, knocking him to the ground again as the ball bounced up and landed on his chest. It shook around a bit for 3 seconds before letting out a dinging sound, indicating successful capture.

"That looked REALLY painful," Serena observed.

"...Yeah, I can see where this is going," Calem moaned as Tierno helped him up.

"But hey, congratulations on your first capture!" Shauna declared. "I can't wait to make my first catch!"

"I hope my first catch is a good dancer!" Tierno commented.

Trevor rolled his eyes, pulling out a map of the Kalos Region. "Okay, you guys. We should keep heading north to the Santalune Forest. There's lots more Pokémon to be found there, AND it just happens to be along the way to Lumiose City."

"Wait, Lumiose City?" Calem asked. "The capital of Kalos?"

"Yes, Calem, that's where Professor Sycamore's lab is," Trevor explained. "We're to head there for further instructions on our mission, while trying to catch and raise as many Pokémon as we can. Didn't you READ the letter?"

"Well, I skimmed most of it, before my mom took it," Calem replied, scratching the back of his head. "But anyway, I guess if we're trying to catch more Pokémon, the Santalune Forest IS the best place to go."

Shauna smiled widely. "Hey, let's make a game of it! Each of us has to try to catch at least one new Pokémon in the forest, and whoever's got the most on their team by the end wins!"

Serena grinned. "Okay, but what does the winner get?"

Shauna thought about it for a second before snapping her fingers. "Got it! The winner gets to take me out for a dinner date at the outdoor café in Santalune City!"

The rest of the gang just stared at the girl. Calem was blushing slightly, Tierno just looked plain confused, Serena was clearly trying to keep from laughing, and Trevor scratched his head and said, "So, the winner, assuming it isn't you, has to spend money on your dinner? How is THAT a prize?"

"It's a PRIZE because you get to go out on a date with ME, silly," Shauna insisted, getting up in the boy's face and wagging her eyelashes suggestively.

Trevor's eyes narrowed. "Can I trade it in for something else?"

* * *

About a half hour (and a slap to the side of Trevor's face) later, the five kids were assembled on Route 2, the Avance Trail, standing before the entrance to the forest. Tierno was still giggling a little at the sight of the near neon-red hand-print on the side of Trevor's face, feeling glad he'd kept quiet earlier. Shauna was still somewhat huffy, with Serena having to stand in-between her and Trevor, while Calem was just smiling at the forest spread out before them.

"Okay, so let's head on in and find some new Pokémon!" Calem cheered.

"Maybe it might be a good idea if we split up?" Serena suggested, earning a confused look from Calem. "Y'know, cover more ground, find more Pokémon...maybe let certain issues cool off a little?"

Calem's eyes widened as he got the idea. "Oh, right, good idea. Shauna, how about you come with me?"

"Good idea!" Shauna chirped. "I got a feeling like something really exciting will happen if I stay with you!"

Serena rolled her eyes. "Okay then, the rest of us will meet you two at the far edge of the forest."

Calem nodded, the five going about their separate ways as they entered the forest. Once the others began to fade from sight, Shauna smirked, wrapping her arm around Calem's, catching him slightly off-guard by the display.

"Sorry, just didn't realize how dark and spooky it was in here!" Shauna very obviously fibbed, as the sun was peering through the treetops rather plainly.

"Uh huh," Calem replied, blushing a little. "So hey, any idea what kind of Pokémon you wanna catch?"_  
_

"I'm not sure yet," Shauna admitted. "Maybe a cute Fletchling, like your mom's. Ooh, or an adorable Pansage!"

"Hey, you there!" the two heard a voice call out. Looking ahead, they saw a boy with light brown hair in a blue hoodie practically staring a hole through them. "Yeah, you two! You look like tough trainers! How about a Pokémon battle?!"

Calem grinned, stepping forward. "You wanna battle?! Sure thing! I'm Calem, what's your name?!"

"My name's Joey," the youngster replied, drawing a Poké Ball, "and my Pokémon are all in the top percent!"

Shauna smiled, watching as Joey and Calem respectively sent out their Scatterbug and Chespin. _Okay, not quite what I expected, but if I cheer Calem on enough, maybe he'll think taking me out on a date will be a GREAT prize!_

* * *

"Taking Shauna out on a date is a TERRIBLE prize!" Trevor growled as he, Serena, and Tierno walked along, Pikachu out of his ball and resting on his trainer's shoulder. "It's not even a real date, since we're all friends anyway! She just wants someone to pay for her dinner!"

"C'mon, she's not THAT selfish," Serena insisted.

"How do YOU know?" Trevor demanded.

"I KNOW because I know what Shauna's really like!" Serena argued. "Y'know, if you took the time to actually pay attention to your friends, you'd understand them a little better!"

"You wanna get to know her so much better, maybe YOU should take her out on a date," Trevor suggested.

"And FYI, your attitude back there didn't exactly help things!" Serena went on.

"I just don't wanna pay for anyone else's dinner when we all have money of our own, okay?!" Trevor yelled.

"Chuuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu groaned in exasperation, holding his ears closed.

"Guys, can we PLEASE not yell so much?" Tierno asked, glancing over his shoulder. "We're gonna scare all the Pokémon away..."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Serena, Trevor, and Pikachu found themselves getting mud slapped in their face in mid-argument. As the three of them looked grossed out and wanting to clean off, Tierno immediately saw the one responsible: A gray and brown rabbit-like Pokémon, apparently looking for a fight. Tierno whipped out his Pokédex, scanning the Pokémon standing ahead of the group.

"_Bunnelby, the Digging Pokémon,_" the Pokédex explained. "_It has ears like shovels that they use to dig burrows the whole night through._"

"Sounds cool enough," Tierno said with a grin, pulling a Poké Ball from his belt. "This one's mine. Go, Corphish!"

Doing a quick spin, Tierno tossed the Poké Ball out, unleashing Corphish. "Corphish, let's kick this off with Swords Dance!" Corphish nodded, shaking his pincers around like maracas as they glowed violet. The Bunnelby, however, wasn't impressed, tackling into Corphish hard.

"Hang in there, Corphish!" Tierno called. "Use Vice Grip!"

Corphish leaped up and grabbed Bunnelby by her ears with his pincers, causing her a great deal of pain and causing her to back off. Tierno threw a fist out, calling, "Now, False Swipe!" Corphish dashed ahead and swiped Bunnelby with one of his pincers, knocking her down.

"Okay, Poké Ball, go!" Tierno yelled, tossing an empty ball. The ball bounced off Bunnelby, pulling her inside with a red light before falling to the ground. It shook around for a few seconds before dinging, Tierno jumping up in the air and cheering, "Alright! We caught a Bunnelby!"

The boy picked up the fallen Poké Ball, showing it to Trevor, Pikachu, and Serena as they wiped the mud from their faces. "Isn't this awesome, you guys?!"

Trevor groaned. "Yeah, great, I CAN'T get this mud off!"

Tierno smiled. "No prob! Corphish, use Bubble!" Corphish smirked, opening his pincers and releasing an array of foamy bubbles. They flew into Pikachu, Trevor, and Serena's faces, washing the mud from their faces.

"...Well, that's ONE way, I guess," Serena muttered in a completely deadpan tone, her hair dripping in water.

"On the plus side, I feel a bit cooled off," Trevor admitted, smirking at how silly they looked, just as Pikachu shook the water from his body.

Serena giggled. "Yeah, let's just hope Shauna's feeling a bit chilled out when we meet up with her."

* * *

"Go, Calem!" Shauna yelled wildly. "You can do it!"

Calem smirked, watching as Joey's Scatterbug tried to use Tackle on Chespin, only for the little Grass-type to dodge him with ease. "Okay, Chespin! Use Pin Missile!" Chespin nodded as the pins on his head glowed white, releasing a flurry of white spikes coated in light green streams from them at Scatterbug, knocking him out.

"Scatterbug, return!" Joey called, returning his Bug-type to his Poké Ball before tossing a new one out. "Fletchling, go!" A Fletchling popped out of the new ball, hovering over Chespin.

_Uh oh!_ Shauna realized. _A flying Pokémon has a huge advantage against BOTH of Calem's Pokémon!_

"Fletchling, Peck!" Joey ordered, the Tiny Robin Pokémon swooping down and pecking Chespin, sending him tumbling across the ground as he was hit hard.

"Chespin, come back!" Calem yelled, pulling the Spiny Nut Pokémon back into his Poké Ball before he could be knocked out. "Good job, Chespin, but you'd better tag out for now." Drawing another Poké Ball, Calem tossed it, calling out "Scatterbug! Let's go!"

Scatterbug landed on the field, looking nervously at his opponent, then back to Calem, who smiled reassuringly at the small Bug-type. "Relax, Scatterbug! Use Poison Powder!" Scatterbug nodded, shaking his body and sending purple dust out at Fletchling. Immediately, the Fletchling started to turn a little purple around the feathers as the poison set in, draining his health.

"Fletchling, Peck!" Joey shouted.

"Scatterbug, Tackle!" Calem ordered. The two Pokémon rammed into each other, Fletchling pecking at Scatterbug hard before getting slammed by the Scatterdust Pokémon's full body. Despite this, Scatterbug clearly took more damage, but Fletchling winced as a purple shock of energy coursed through his body, the poison reducing his health more.

"Scatterbug, return!" Calem yelled as he recalled the Bug-type, quickly sending Chespin back out to the field. "Chespin, use Leech Seed!" Chespin leaped up, spitting seeds from his mouth that hit Fletchling, opening to release vines that wrapped around the Tiny Robin Pokémon and further drained his health.

"Don't give up, Fletchling!" Joey cried. "Use Quick Attack!"

Fletchling chirped weakly, swooping at Chespin as a white streak of light streamed behind him. He tackled into Chespin hard, shoving him back across the ground. However, the Normal/Flying-type found himself growing weaker as the poison and seeds drained his strength.

"Let's wrap this up with Vine Whip!" Calem commanded, Chespin shooting a pair of vines out from his head that cracked across Fletchling, knocking the bird out cold. "Alright! Good job, Chespin!"

Joey sighed, recalling Fletchling, but smiled in spite of his loss. "Guess I wasn't quite in the top percent today. That was a cool combo, though, using Poison Powder and Leech Seed."

"That was AMAZING, Calem!" Shauna declared, wrapping Calem's arm around her.

"Eheh, well, I had to find some way to beat that Fletchling," Calem explained, blushing hard, "and I remembered that Scatterbug can shoot spores out, so I gave it a shot."

"It was an awesome shot!" Shauna insisted. "You're, without a doubt, the most amazing member of our team, and I just KNOW you can win that date with me!"

Calem sweat-dropped. "Um, thanks, but I still need to find other Pokémon to catch."

Shauna shrugged. "I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure the others can't be having much better luck than we are right now."

* * *

"Go, Fennekin!" Serena called. "Use Ember!"

Fennekin leaped up into the air, releasing a series of small fireballs at the Fletchling standing before her, burning the Tiny Robin Pokémon. Serena then threw a Poké Ball, which popped open and pulled the Fletchling inside, shaking a bit before a loud ding rung out.

"Yay, I got a Fletchling!" Serena cheered, grabbing the ball as Fennekin ran back and nuzzled her leg. "Good job, Fennekin!"

"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered, throwing up a peace sign.

"Now if Shauna can catch a Pokémon, we'll each have two each," Trevor noted. "Of course, that's assuming she even plans to compete in this little competition herself..."

* * *

"Can I ask you something?" Calem asked as he peered around a bush, looking for wild Pokémon.

Shauna looked up from the one she was inspecting with a smile. "Ask away!"

"What's the real reason you want someone to take you on that date?" Calem inquired, getting a surprised look from the girl. "I mean, I don't believe that you're really THAT infatuated with me, but I don't think Trevor's right either."

Shauna sighed, well aware of the fact that she was busted. "...Calem, why are you on this journey?"

Calem blinked in confusion, so Shauna just went on. "It's just, Trevor wants to complete the Pokédex, Tierno's just out to have fun with as many Pokémon as he can, Serena wants to grow strong with other Pokémon...and me, I just wanna have an adventure with my friends and our Pokémon, and make as many memories as I can. I wanna experience EVERYTHING I can while I'm out on it."

Calem nodded. "I think I get it. Tell you what: If no one else feels up for it, I'll take you to the café."

Shauna smiled before searching the bushes again. "You're sweet, Calem...but, I think after what happened earlier, I might have a slightly better idea for what to...Oh!"

Calem came jogging over to find Shauna face-to-face with a wild Pokémon: A red and yellow monkey with a fireball-shaped tuft atop his head. He looked as though he'd just woken up, but nonetheless looked ready for a fight. Shauna smiled widely, pulling out her Pokédex to scan the little guy.

"_Pansear, the High Temp Pokémon,_" Shauna's Pokédex read off. "_A highly intelligent Pokémon, it roasts berries with the flames kept within its tuft before eating them._"

"Sounds like a Fire-type to me," Calem added with a smirk, "meaning a Water-type like your Froakie has the best advantage."

Shauna nodded, pulling a Poké Ball from her belt. "Right! Let's do it, Froabble!" Chucking the ball, it unleashed the Bubble Frog Pokémon, who landed on Shauna's head. Shauna giggled as he then hopped off and landed on the ground, ready to fight. Pansear grinned, glowing white for a moment before breathing out a strong fire attack.

"Stop that Incinerate with Bubble!" Shauna ordered, Froabble blowing out foamy bubbles that collided with the flames. However, the Pansear quickly leaped over the mist formed from the two attacks hitting each other, scratching Froabble repeatedly.

"That's Pansear's Fury Swipes!" Calem exclaimed. "Shauna, you've gotta shut him down!"

"Froabble, Substitute!" Shauna cried, Froabble suddenly vibrating his body to create an afterimage of himself, confusing Pansear. "Now Quick Attack!" Just as Pansear turned around, the real Froabble rushed him, tackling him as a white light streamed off the Water-type's body.

"Go, Poké Ball!" Shauna shouted, tossing an empty ball at Pansear. It opened and drew him inside, shaking along the ground for a few seconds before popping back open, Pansear escaping from its confines. "Shoot, he's not weakened enough!"

Pansear stomped the ground hard, kicking up the dust as his body glowed with fiery red energy. Soon, the energy became a red and yellow orb of flames, surrounding his body as he charged forward like a flaming train. Froabble was just barely able to grab hold of his Substitute, hauling it in front of himself to take the hit. Even then, the blow was so harsh that, while he wasn't damaged at all, it still pushed him back a bit.

"Let's finish this with Bubble!" Shauna yelled, Froabble blowing another jet of foamy bubbles from his mouth that hit Pansear hard, nearly knocking him out. "One more time, Poké Ball!" Shauna threw another Poké Ball, which bounced off Pansear's tuft and pulled him inside. The ball rolled along the ground, shaking for a few seconds, before it stopped, a soft ding ringing out from it.

"Yay!" Shauna cheered, high-fiving Froabble. "We caught Pansear!"

"Congratulations, Shauna!" she heard a familiar voice say, turning to face Serena jogging ahead of Trevor, Pikachu, and Tierno to give her a fist bump.

"Thanks!" Shauna replied, despite looking a little confused. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, we're not that far from the edge of the forest," Trevor explained with a shrug, "and we heard the sounds of a battle, so we thought we'd check and see if it was you. You know, in case you needed support or whatever."

Tierno rolled his eyes. "Can't just say you were worried about her, huh?"

The group had a good laugh at this, save for Trevor, who blushed in embarrassment. "Alright, alright! Now, let's see who has the most Pokémon."

The five kids nodded, releasing all their Pokémon. Pikachu hopped off Trevor's shoulder, thus joining Flabébé, Fennekin, Fletchling, Chespin, Scatterbug, Froabble, Pansear, Corphish, and Bunnelby. Ten Pokémon, two each belonging to different trainers.

"Looks like it's a tie, huh?" Serena observed. "So, who wins? And what do they win?"

Shauna smiled. "Well, I guess we all go to the outdoor café in Santalune City!"

Trevor cocked an eyebrow, suspicious. "And everyone pays their own way?"

Shauna rolled her eyes. "YES, Trevor. I'm sorry I made it seem like I was so greedy earlier, I just really wanted to go."

"Well, you can always just say that, and save us a bunch of trouble," Trevor replied. "...But, I guess I didn't exactly make things much better myself, so, I'm sorry too."

"Well, now that we've gotten past all THAT," Calem said, "let's keep going, straight to Santalune City!"

And so, the five kids and their Pokémon made their way to the edge of the forest, where the exit awaited them, unaware that, as they went, they were being watched by a tiny blue mouse Pokémon. She looked on as Shauna petted her Froakie, congratulating him on a hard-fought battle, and smiled widely, hopping along on her tail after the group.

* * *

**Pokémon Spotlight!**

Shauna's Froakie, 'Froabble'  
Ability: Torrent  
Gender: Male  
Nature: Quirky  
Characteristic: Thoroughly cunning  
Attacks: Bubble, Double Team, Quick Attack, Substitute

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTES:_** So, first off, sorry if this chapter seemed a bit chaotic, going back and forth between the two halves of the group, catching them in the middle of engagements or other events, but I'm basically experimenting with different ways I can show the kids splitting up to cover more of a particular area. Another way I was thinking of was to have their separate paths as separate chapters, which I think I'll be trying for when they explore Santalune City and the surrounding area, simply because there's so much to cover for each of them.

I would also like to note that, yes, Pansear will be getting a nickname, and as people who have played the games may have guessed, a certain Pokémon on the gang's roster will be leaving rather soon. Also, the Pokémon that appeared at the end of this chapter will become relevant soon enough, she's just kinda following after the group for now out of curiosity.

Lastly, I just wanna further explain part of the reason I picked THESE games to do a loose novelization of. A few months ago, shortly after the games' release, my friend Shadowbird712 and I were talking the main characters, and we eventually came to realize (and he posted this on his tumblr) that the characters basically represent the various types of play that players and fans can take on. Tierno is just out for a fun ride, Shauna wants an adventure full of memories to cherish, Trevor is the collector/completionist, and Serena/Calem are the serious Trainers. They're all completely different in their goals and styles, but they support each other in what they do, as good friends should. And just the fact that these friends exist in the main story of a game that has so many options and occasions for connecting with other players from around the world, it makes these games the ones that best capture the spirit of what Pokémon is to so many people.

Anyway, that's enough of my philosophical ranting, so check in next time as the gang explores Santalune City and the surrounding area. Ja né!


	4. Battle 4: The Leekspin of Farfetch'd!

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ **I do not own Pokémon. Pokémon is published and owned by Japanese video game company Nintendo, and was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996.**

**The following is a loose novelization of the events of the video games Pokémon X & Y. Several events, lines of dialogue, and Pokémon owned by the characters will therefore be different.**

* * *

Shauna took a long sip of tea, enjoying the taste as it flowed down her throat. Heading straight to the outdoor café upon reaching Santalune City instead of waiting for dinner was definitely a good call, and looking around the table, it looked like the others were enjoying themselves as well. Even the group's Pokémon were enjoying themselves, feasting on bowls of berries, each bowl tailored to the favoured flavour of different Pokémon.

"Wow, Serena, I had no idea you knew this much about Pokémon diets!" Calem admitted. "That's pretty impressive!"

Serena smiled, blushing a little. "Well, it all comes from a lengthy procedure of trial and error. Mostly error, if I'm being completely honest."

Finishing off her cup, Shauna placed it down on the table and sighed happily. "Yum! So, what are we all going to do now that we're here?"

"Why, look for more Pokémon, of course!" Trevor exclaimed. "The outskirts of Santalune City are full of Pokémon that can't be found in the forest, and I still haven't caught a new one since we started!"

"I'll bet they know all kinds of different moves, too!" Tierno added with a smile. "I wanna see them all!"

Shauna giggled before turning to her honey-haired friend. "What about you, Serena?"

"Well, I was thinking about checking out the Santalune City Gym," Serena replied, causing Calem to do a spit-take.

"Whoa, there's a Gym here?!" Calem demanded.

Shauna tilted her head. "What's the big deal about a gym?"

Trevor sighed as Calem cleaned up the mess he made. "Pokémon Gyms are facilities set up by the Pokémon League to test Trainers' skills in battle. More-so, each Gym has a Gym Leader, a high-level Trainer just under the ranks of the League's Elite members. If you can beat the Gym Leader, you earn yourself a Gym Badge. Win 8 different Gym Badges from a single Region, and you're one step closer to facing that Region's Champion Trainer."

"The Champions of each Region are among the greatest Trainers in the entire world, so every year, thousands of Trainers find themselves competing to earn the right to face them!" Calem added excitedly. "Only the best of the best have even got a shot at taking them on for the Championship!"

"Wow, that sounds amazing!" Shauna responded. "So Serena, you wanna become a Champion?"

Serena blushed a bit, fidgeting. "Well, I don't know if I'd go THAT far, but I at least wanna know how I stand up against a Gym Leader."

Meanwhile, as the group discussed what they were going to do next, Pikachu felt his ear twitch, alerted to the sound of someone or something watching them. Looking around, he finally spotted a tiny blue mouse Pokémon, watching the group with a curious smile on her face. However, upon realizing she'd been seen, she quickly turned tail and fled, bouncing on the ball at the end of her tail.

"Kachu-Pi!" Pikachu called, giving chase as Trevor immediately took notice of his Pokémon running off.

"Pikachu, where are you going?!" Trevor yelled, getting up from the table. "Dammit, he's always running off after every little sound!"

"C'mon, we better go catch him!" Shauna cried, grabbing her bag and recalling her Pokémon.

Trevor nodded, recalling Flabébé before looking to the rest of his friends. "We'll meet you guys at the Gym later!"

With that, the two ran off after the speedy Electric-type, Calem sweat-dropping. "Oh boy, I hope they can catch him...!"

Tierno sighed hard. "Unfortunately, Trevor's right: Pikachu's ALWAYS running off whenever he hears something. He just can't help himself."

"I wouldn't worry, though," Serena said with a smile. "Trevor and Shauna are usually pretty good at catching him when he bolts."

"I hope you're right," Calem muttered, Chespin likewise looking concerned.

Tierno got up from the table with a grin. "Hey, I know what'll get'cha in a better mood: A Pokémon Battle! Me and you, what do you say?!"

Calem smiled, getting up. "You're on!"

Serena sighed with a smile, Fennekin mirroring her exasperation. "Heh, boys..."

Quickly moving out to the town's square, the two boys took opposite sides, Tierno smirking confidently. "Okay, Corphish, let's go!" Corphish chirped happily as he slid out onto the field, Calem pulling out his Pokédex to scan the crustacean.

"_Corphish, the Ruffian Pokémon,_" the Pokédex read as a few people started to take notice of the two getting ready to battle. "_Its hardy vitality enables it to adapt to any environment. No matter how dirty the water in the river, it will adapt and thrive._"

"Says here he's a Water-type," Calem added, looking to his Pokémon. "And I know Chespin has an advantage against Water-type Pokémon, but Scatterbug could probably use the experience."

Chespin nodded in understanding, Scatterbug taking a gulp before wiggling out to face his opponent, a crowd now forming around the two boys and their Pokémon. Serena groaned, feeling embarrassed that all of this was happening when she and her Pokémon were still enjoying their meal, until she saw Fennekin and Fletchling move their bowls up onto the table so that they could eat and watch. Their trainer, seeing this, rolled her eyes and decided to go ahead and enjoy the show.

"Corphish, get into the rhythm with Swords Dance!" Tierno ordered, the Water-type dancing around as his pincers glowed with power.

"Dance this away!" Calem called with a grin. "Scatterbug, String Shot!" Scatterbug nodded, shooting silky string from his mouth at Corphish, wrapping around his joints to slow his movements.

"Gonna be like that, huh?!" Tierno retorted. "Corphish, Vice Grip!" Corphish ran across the field, albeit slowly with the string around his body, pincers ready to grab hold of Scatterbug. The small Bug-type tried to dodge, but stumbled over his tiny feet, just barely getting his tail-end caught by Corphish as he wailed in pain.

"Scatterbug, free yourself with Tackle!" Calem ordered, Scatterbug trying his best to flail his body around before finally slamming into Corphish. This managed to free him, creating some distance between the two.

"Okay, let's give it another Tackle, Scatterbug!" Calem called, only for Scatterbug to suddenly begin to glow white and levitate off the ground. "S-Scatterbug?!"

"No way!" Serena shouted with a smile as Scatterbug's body began to rotate around. "Scatterbug is evolving!"

As the crowd watched on with awe, Scatterbug began to spin faster, his body glowing brighter as it began to expand a bit. Finally, after a brilliant flash of light, the Bug-type landed on the field exactly where he'd been standing before, only now he was a fair bit larger around. Looking himself over, his big gray head had lost the long white hairs coming off the top, and the rest of his body was covered with some sort of white fur with multicoloured particles here and there. Calem smiled widely, scanning him with his Pokédex.

"_Spewpa, the Scatterdust Pokémon,_" Calem's Pokédex explained. "_When predators attack, it quickly bristles the fur covering its body in an effort to threaten them. The beaks of birds can't begin to scratch its stalwart body._"

"Awesome, your Scatterbug evolved into Spewpa!" Tierno observed. "But we're not gonna let that stop us! Corphish, Bubble!" Corphish leaped up and opened his pincers, launching a barrage of foamy bubbles at Spewpa. The Bug-type, however, quickly erected a green force field around himself, stopping the bubbles long before they made contact with him.

"Wow, he even learned Protect!" Calem exclaimed. "Okay, let's see what he can REALLY do! Spewpa, Tackle!" Spewpa rushed forward, surprisingly fast, but before he could make contact, a lone brown duck-like Pokémon came dancing in, spinning a green leek stalk in its hands. Spewpa managed to hit the brakes as it came dancing between them, blinking in surprise at the sudden entrant.

"Uhhh, what the hell?" Calem asked, raising his Pokédex once again.

"_Farfetch'd, the Wild Duck Pokémon,_" the Pokédex described as the Pokémon twirled his stalk around like he was leading a band. "_The plant stalk it holds can be used to build its nest, or as a sword in battle._"

"Or as one heck of a baton!" Tierno added, impressed with the Normal/Flying-type's moves.

"Quacklin'!" a large bearded man in hiking gear yelled from the crowd. "Get back here, right now!"

The Farfetch'd, apparently named Quacklin', ignored his Trainer, continuing his dance. After a while, Tierno couldn't help himself. He pulled out his stereo and hit the play button, leaping in to breakdance along with the Wild Duck Pokémon, Corphish joining in the fun as well. Calem, Serena, and their Pokémon couldn't help but watch all of this with slack jaws, Calem and Spewpa feeling a bit ignored as their battle was apparently cancelled in favour of a dance party.

"...Does this happen a lot too?" Calem asked as Serena walked over.

"No, this would be a first," Serena replied, baffled by what she saw as Tierno and the two Pokémon actually proceeded to do the Thriller dance. "And I'm honestly kinda hoping it's the last..."

* * *

"I'm really sorry about that!" the hiker, Clint, apologized profusely. It was a few minutes later, and the group had decided to relocate to the Pokémon Centre, a facility where Trainers could heal up their Pokémon and buy additional supplies for their journeys.

"It's okay," Tierno replied, waving it off. "But man, your Farfetch'd knows some kickass dance moves!"

Clint smiled halfheartedly. "Yes, Quacklin' sure knows how to have fun. But lately, that's ALL he seems to want to do, is party down. It's really interfering with my mining work."

At the sound of the word 'mining', Bunnelby suddenly came running in, looking excited as Tierno chuckled at his Pokémon's antics. "Heheh, you like the idea of mining, little girl?"

"Come to think of it, Bunnelby are natural born diggers, and even evolve to be part Ground-type," Serena noted as she walked up to the two, having finished her shopping.

"That's true," Calem replied as his Pokémon were finished healing up. "...Say, I've got an idea: How about you two have a battle?"

Tierno blinked in confusion. "Huh? Why a battle all of a sudden?"

"I've just got this theory about you two and your Pokémon," Calem answered, looking Bunnelby and Quacklin' over. "I'd like to see if I'm right."

Tierno still looked confused, but looked to Clint with a shrug. "Well, I guess I'm game if you are. What do you say?"

"I WAS actually hoping to get some battling in while I was in town," Clint replied. "What the hell, let's go for it!"

Serena watched all of this suspiciously, but then smiled as she saw the grins of Tierno and Clint, and how they seemed to be reflected in each other's Pokémon. _Oh, now I get it. Good thinking, Calem. If this goes well, everyone should come out a winner in this battle._

* * *

About a half an hour later, the group were again relocated, this time to Route 22, the Détourner Way on the outskirts of Santalune City. Tierno and Clint stood ready with their Pokémon, Bunnelby and Quacklin', as Calem stood as referee, Serena watching on with the rest of the gang's Pokémon.

"Okay, one Pokémon per side!" Calem declared. "In addition, this battle will have substitutions, but only at MY discretion!"

"That's kinda weird," Tierno said, confused. "Whatever, let's do this. Bunnelby, let's get into the rhythm with Agility!" Bunnelby looked a little exasperated, having wanted to go straight for the attack, but did as ordered, vibrating her body as her speed stat went up.

"Quacklin', Fury Attack!" Clint ordered. His Farfetch'd ran in and struck out with his leek, Bunnelby barely able to dodge around them. It didn't take long for Tierno to notice a pattern, though, as Quacklin' was striking with a very distinct rhythm.

"Bunnelby, imagine the song I played earlier, and you'll be able to keep up with his moves!" Tierno shouted. Bunnelby tried, improving her dodging a bit more, but was still just barely able to keep ahead of the Wild Duck Pokémon.

"Quacklin', use Leaf Blade!" Clint yelled. Quacklin', being brought out of his pattern, raised his leek up as it glowed green and sharpened into a blade of sorts. He swung it hard, but with his attack movements thrown off, Bunnelby was able to dodge it with ease.

"Spring up and use Double Kick!" Tierno yelled. The Digging Pokémon smiled, finding herself at last on the offensive, and kicked at Quacklin' hard with both feet, one right after the other. The Farfetch'd found himself knocked back, flapping his wings to right himself. He then began to twirl his leek about like earlier, only now it was glowing as he felt his attack power rise up.

"Quacklin', what are you doing?!" Clint demanded. "I didn't tell you to use Swords Dance!"

"How 'bout we boost our speed some more, Bunnelby?" Tierno suggested, only for Bunnelby to growl a little, tackling at Quacklin'. However, the Wild Duck Pokémon was able to spin around the charging Normal-type with a grin as she flew by. "Wha? What was THAT all about?!"

"Okay!" Calem yelled, seeing that the two Pokémon were right where he expected they'd eventually be. "I declare a substitution, and the Pokémon you'll be subbing out for is...each other's!"

"HUH?!" Clint inquired.

"The crap?!" Tierno demanded.

_Heh, knew it,_ Serena thought with a smile.

"It's obvious to me, watching this battle, that your Pokémon are best suited to each other's battling style," Calem explained, smiling warmly. "I know that Trainers and their Pokémon should try to adapt to each other, but I think if you'll try this out, you might find this works better for you."

Tierno and Clint looked confused, as well as a little worried. After all, they were going to be battling with each other's Pokémon instead of their own. How could that possibly work? However, as they were both thinking this same thing, Quacklin' turned to face Tierno, and Bunnelby looked at Clint, the Pokémon looking them in the eye. Realizing they wanted to try this out, the two Trainers looked back up at each other, giving a quick nod.

"Okay, let's try it!" Tierno exclaimed. "Quacklin', feel the beat with Swords Dance!" Quacklin' smiled, putting his all into his Swords Dance.

"Bunnelby, Double Kick!" Clint yelled, the Digging Pokémon running across the field to kick at Quacklin'. The first foot caught the Normal/Flying-type hard in the face with a roundhouse, but as Bunnelby brought the other foot up, Quacklin' spun around and parried the other foot with his leek.

"Nice block, Quacklin'!" Tierno complimented, getting a lot more into the battle. "Now let's try that Leaf Blade, but with a spin!" The Farfetch'd quacked happily, spinning around as he charged up the Leaf Blade before swiping it across Bunnelby, knocking her away.

"Bunnelby, try a Take Down, and put all your power behind it!" Clint roared, feeling the energy of the battle get to him. Bunnelby nodded, charging at Quacklin' hard and nearly knocking him into the air, though feeling a bronze-coloured shock of pain course through her own body as well.

"Quacklin', strike your blade down to right yourself!" Tierno shouted as Quacklin' sailed over the ground. The Wild Duck Pokémon stabbed his Leaf Blade down into the terrain and spun on it like a pole before landing gracefully, despite the terrible damage he'd taken. "Whew, that was close! I didn't know Bunnelby could use Take Down!"

"And I didn't know Quacklin' could use a recovery move like THAT!" Clint observed in amazement. "Calem was right!"

Calem grinned as the two and their Pokémon realized this. "I knew, as soon as I saw the look in Bunnelby's eyes, that she wanted to be with Clint instead of Tierno. And I knew that Quacklin' would probably be better suited with Tierno than Clint."

Tierno scratched the back of his head, looking at Quacklin'. "Yeah, I think you're right. I mean, Bunnelby is awesome, and will always be my first catch, but I think Quacklin' is more my kinda Pokémon, and I think Clint is more Bunnelby's kinda Trainer."

Clint nodded. "Yeah, and as much as I like Quacklin', I know he needs a good Trainer that can let him cut loose, and I know Bunnelby could be one heck of a miner, too."

Serena smiled, walking over. "Well then, why don't you two trade Pokémon?"

Tierno and Clint looked to their Pokémon, seeking approval at this idea. Fortunately, the two looked all too eager to go through with it, so the Trainers nodded, recalling the two into their Poké Balls. Looking to each other, Tierno and Clint gave a warm smile to their Poké Balls and the Pokémon inside, before tossing them both up into the air at each other. The two balls glanced off each other, shimmering in a white light, before landing in the opposite Trainer's hand, leaving Clint with Bunnelby's ball and Tierno with the Poké Ball containing Quacklin'.

Calem smiled at this exchange, Serena walking up to him. "Your insight on how Pokémon relate to Trainers really paid off here."

Calem blushed a little as Chespin nudged him with a sly look, embarrassing him. "I-I guess it comes from helping my mom out all these years."

* * *

"Well, I wish I could stay longer, but I got a trip planned for the Connecting Cave," Clint said as the group was formed at the gate leading from Santalune City to Route 4, Bunnelby resting on his shoulder. "You take good care of Quacklin', okay?"

Tierno nodded, patting Quacklin' on the head. "You know it. Bunnelby, do whatever Clint says and grow up big and strong, okay?"

Bunnelby smiled, nodding. With that, Clint turned and left, headed along the Parterre Way out of town as Bunnelby waved goodbye to the group. The gang waved back until they passed out of sight, Tierno confident that he made the right decision. Just as they turned back toward town, the group watched as Trevor, Pikachu, and Shauna walked up toward them, looking exhausted and even a little scratched up. They very nearly collapsed as they reached their friends.

"Hey, you guys," Calem greeted, observing the trio with concern. "...Uhh, what the hell happened?"

"Ugh, it's a LONG story," Shauna groaned before taking notice of the Farfetch'd at Tierno's feet. "Oh hey, did you guys catch a new Pokémon?"

"Something like that," Serena answered. "How about you guys? Find any new Pokémon?"

"Let's just say that SOME of us have learned never to take off like a Zubat out of hell," Trevor replied, looking down at Pikachu, who looked away guiltily.

"C'mon, couldn't have been THAT bad," Tierno said, looking confused.

"Oh man, do we have a story for you guys," Shauna responded, "AFTER I rest my Pokémon, AND my feet, up at the Pokémon Centre..."

And with that, Shauna dragged herself toward the Pokémon Centre, followed by Trevor and Pikachu. The rest of their friends just looked blankly at them, then to each other, trying to guess just what in the world could've possibly happened to the three.

* * *

**Pokémon Spotlight!**

Tierno's Corphish  
Ability: Shell Armour  
Gender: Male  
Nature: Impish  
Characteristic: Impetuous and silly  
Attacks: Swords Dance, Vice Grip, False Swipe, Bubble

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTES:_** So, as some of you may have guessed, Bunnelby WAS the one to go, as Quacklin' is now Tierno's newest Pokémon. Is this the last we'll be seeing of Bunnelby or Clint? Probably not. I already have an idea to bring them back later on. For now, though, I hope you can be accepting of Quacklin'. I know that Farfetch'd can be kinda looked down on by a lot of people as being useless, but I think he fits Tierno pretty well. Plus, I wanted to make use of the in-game trade, and felt this was a nice way to show it off in the fic.

Anyway, check in next time as we find out exactly what happened to Trevor, Pikachu, and Shauna behind the scenes of this chapter. Ja né!


	5. Battle 5: Done Like Dunsparce!

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ **I do not own Pokémon. Pokémon is published and owned by Japanese video game company Nintendo, and was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996.**

**The following is a loose novelization of the events of the video games Pokémon X & Y. Several events, lines of dialogue, and Pokémon owned by the characters will therefore be different.**

* * *

Pikachu rubbed his tummy, having enjoyed a nice meal of berries readied by Serena as she, Trevor, and the others ate at the outdoor café. As the group of Trainers discussed what they were going to do next, including plans like going to a Gym in town, the Electric-type Pokémon felt his ear twitch, alerted to the sound of someone or something watching them. Looking around, he finally spotted a tiny blue mouse Pokémon, watching the group with a curious smile on her face. However, upon realizing she'd been seen, she quickly turned tail and fled, bouncing on the ball at the end of her tail.

"Kachu-Pi!" Pikachu called, giving chase as Trevor immediately took notice of his Pokémon running off.

"Pikachu, where are you going?!" Trevor yelled, getting up from the table. "Dammit, he's always running off after every little sound!"

"C'mon, we better go catch him!" Shauna cried, grabbing her bag and recalling her Pokémon.

Trevor nodded, recalling Flabébé before looking to the rest of his friends. "We'll meet you guys at the Gym later!"

"Here's hoping, anyway!" Shauna exclaimed as they got out of range of the others, approaching the gate to Route 3. "You know what Pikachu's like when he runs off!"

"I swear, that little guy runs after everything that makes a sound!" Trevor growled, spotting Pikachu's tracks leading out of town. "Crap, he's headed for Ouvert Way! If he gets lost there, we might never find him!"

* * *

Pikachu came to a halt as he reached a small lake, looking around for the blue Pokémon and finding nothing. Obviously, she'd managed to shake him off her bouncing ball tail. Worse, he couldn't quite remember how he got to where he was, meaning he'd have to retrace his tracks back to town, and by the time he got there, Trevor was sure to be furious with him. However, just as Pikachu was about to start retracing his steps, his ear twitched as it caught the sound of an object being thrown at him. Dodging to his left, he managed to avoid a Poké Ball that nearly collided with his head. The Electric-type quickly spotted the source: A boy with sandy brown hair, glasses, a yellow schoolboy's uniform, and a blue backpack.

"Dammit, I missed!" the boy cursed, scooping his Poké Ball back up. "Well this time, I won't!"

"HOLD IT!" a voice yelled out. Pikachu smiled as Trevor and Shauna immediately came running in, getting in front of Pikachu and blocking him off from the schoolboy. "Pikachu's MY Pokémon! Back off!"

"Aw man, really?!" the boy asked, looking deflated as Pikachu hopped up onto Trevor's shoulder, thus confirming his claims. "Shoot, thought I was gonna catch an awesome Electric-type. Sorry about that."

"There are Wild Pikachu in the Santalune Forest, if you wanna go looking for one," Trevor noted, his tone still having a firm edge to it.

The schoolboy shifted a bit, looking embarrassed. "Yeah, but...I was hoping to catch one unaware. Y'see, I've never actually battled an Electric-type Pokémon, so I'm not sure what they're like. I mean, there are books that describe them at my school in Santalune City, but..."

"So, you're still learning to be a Trainer?" Shauna asked curiously.

The schoolboy nodded. "Yep. Say, I've got an idea: Do you think I could have a battle with your Pikachu? So I could get a good idea what's in store if I battle one in the wild?"

Trevor looked a little unsure, turning to Pikachu. The Mouse Pokémon thought for a moment before giving a confident nod, Trevor smiling and saying "Okay, Pikachu and I are in!"

"Awesome!" the boy cheered. "Oh, by the way, my name's Brighton."

"I'm Trevor, and this is Shauna," Trevor replied. "And you've already met Pikachu."

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu greeted before hopping off Trevor's shoulder, getting ready for battle.

"Well then, here's MY Pokémon!" Brighton yelled, tossing a Poké Ball into the air. It popped open in a flash of light, unleashing a green and yellow monkey Pokémon with a broccoli-like sprout of some sort growing out of the top of its head. Taking out his Pokédex, Trevor opened it up and scanned his opponent.

"_Pansage, the Grass Monkey Pokémon,_" Trevor's Pokédex read aloud. "_A very generous Pokémon, it shares the leaf on its head and any berries it finds with friends or weary-looking Pokémon._"

"Looks like his is in good health, too," Trevor observed, closing his Pokédex. "Just what I'd expect from a Pokémon raised by a student in Santalune."

"Thanks," Brighton replied, adjusting his glasses. "I'll let you guys have the first attack."

"Okay then!" Trevor called. "Pikachu, let's start with Thunder Shock!"

"Pikaaa-Chuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu cried, launching a blast of electricity out of his body across the field, headed straight for Pansage.

"Pansage, Bullet Seed!" Brighton ordered, his Pansage responding by taking a deep breath and shooting golden seeds surrounded in green light from his mouth. The seeds impacted the Thunder Shock, cancelling out some of it, but the attack poured on, shocking Pansage.

"Pansage, you okay?!" Brighton asked, Pansage quickly shaking the effects of the Thunder Shock off. "Wow, didn't really do much damage at all, huh?"

"Well, Grass-type Pokémon ARE usually pretty resistant to Electric-type attacks," Trevor explained.

Brighton smiled widely. "Really?! Wow, so my Pansage should be super-strong against them!"

Trevor smirked. "Then again, not all Pokémon of the same species fight the same way, and some use moves that might surprise you! Pikachu, Rock Smash!" At this order, Pikachu immediately charged across the field, stretching his tail out as it glowed with a brilliant red-orange light.

"Chuuu-Pika!" Pikachu shouted as he swung his tail at the Grass Monkey Pokémon, catching it across the head hard. Pansage dropped to a knee, wincing as he felt slightly weaker all of a sudden.

"Whoa, a Fighting-type move?!" Brighton demanded.

"I noticed a lot of Ground-type Pokémon have weaknesses to Fighting-type attacks," Trevor replied. "So I had Pikachu learn Rock Smash to defend himself better in battle. It also has a chance of lowering the opponent's physical defense."

"So that means using it over and over will do more and more damage!" Brighton realized. "Better be quick to counter! Pansage, Fury Swipes!" Pansage nodded, swinging his paws wildly as they began to glow white. He managed to catch Pikachu three times before suddenly feeling overcome by an electrical current running through his body. He started to freeze up, Brighton calling "Pansage, what's wrong?"

"A lot of Electric-type Pokémon like Pikachu have an Ability called Static," Shauna explained from the sidelines. "When opponents make physical contact with it, there's a chance they could get paralyzed by the Pokémon's static electricity."

"Pikachu, let's wrap this up with one more Thunder Shock!" Trevor called.

"PikaaaAAAAA**AAAAAAA_AAAAAAAAA!_**" Pikachu yelled, charging power as he suddenly felt a much more powerful force inside himself, releasing it in the form of multiple bolts of electricity that shot out everywhere. However, because the attack took longer to charge, Pansage had just enough time to duck, even while paralyzed, sending the blasts off into the tall grass.

"AHH!" Shauna screamed, ducking behind Trevor. "What the hell was that?!"

Trevor scanned Pikachu with the Pokédex as the attack finally died down. "Looks like Pikachu just learned Discharge! It's way more powerful than Thunder Shock, but it can be hard to keep control over it!" Pikachu fell on his behind in exhaustion, giving his head a hard shake. Looking him and Pansage over, Trevor sighed before looking back to Brighton. "I think we should probably call this battle off now. Neither of our Pokémon look to be in good shape to continue."

"Yeah, good call," Brighton replied, scooping up Pansage. "Still, this was great experience. With any luck, me and Pansage'll catch an Electric-type for sure."

"Why do you want an Electric-type anyway?" Shauna asked curiously.

Brighton shifted a little. "Well, it's 'cuz-"

Suddenly, before Brighton could continue, a large yellow and blue serpent-like Pokémon rose out of the tall grass, looking angrily through the small slits over its eyes. It was quickly joined by four more, all of which seemed most unhappy and a little blackened. The Trainers quickly huddled up, Shauna scanning the wild Pokémon with her Pokédex.

"_Dunsparce, the Land Snake Pokémon,_" the Pokédex explained. "_It digs underground by boring its tail through the terrain, and is capable of short-lived flight with its tiny wings._"

"What do you suppose they're all so mad about?" Shauna asked, closing her Pokédex.

"I think Pikachu's Discharge might've hit them while they were resting in the grass," Trevor guessed, Pikachu sweat-dropping.

Without warning, the lead Dunsparce rolled up into a ball and spun across the ground like a wheel at the team, causing them to run and scream as it gave chase. The other Dunsparce all drilled underground as the leader chased the three Trainers and their Pokémon around the field. Just as the group caught sight of the gate leading back to Santalune City ahead and down the hill, the other four Dunsparce punched up out of the ground, launching heaps of dirt and rocks at the team that knocked them to the ground.

"Oof!" Shauna groaned as she hit the ground, grabbing a ball from her belt. "Okay, now I'm pissed! Panana, go!" Shauna hurled the Poké Ball, which released her Pansear to the field. "Use Incinerate!"

Panana, as he was now apparently called, took a deep breath as he glowed white with power. He then unleashed a vicious flame at the lead Dunsparce, but it was able to keep rolling through the flame, ramming into the High Temp Pokémon and knocking him out in a single hit. It then wheeled around, looking to hit Brighton and Pansage.

"Flabébé, Protect!" Trevor shouted, calling out his Fairy-type. She quickly floated in front of Brighton and Pansage, erecting a force field that stopped the lead Dunsparce in its tracks.

"Thanks, Trevor!" Brighton exclaimed with a smile. "Now it's our turn! Pansage, Bullet Seed!" Pansage nodded, fighting through his paralysis to pummel the Dunsparce horde with a flurry of seeds.

"Pikachu, use Rock Smash!" Trevor ordered, Pikachu mustering up enough strength to nail a super-effective hit on the Normal-type leader of the horde. Unfortunately, the lead Dunsparce was able to dig its tail into the ground, enduring the hit. It then regrouped with the other Dunsparce, who all opened their mouths as they prepared various attacks, the leader gathering flames in its mouth as the others charged ice, solar energy, electricity, and shadows for their own attacks.

"Oh man, we're screwed!" Shauna cried, huddling up to Trevor.

Before the attacks could come, though, the clouds started to gather and darken, blocking out the sun and cancelling out one Dunsparce's Solar Beam. It then started to rain, dousing out the leader's Flamethrower a bit, and soon enough, the rest all stopped their attacks as they looked for the source. They wouldn't have to wait long, though, as a blue blur suddenly zipped around the field, smacking into each one of the Dunsparce like a pinball. It finally came to a halt before them, revealing itself to be a blue and yellow insect Pokémon standing on four thin legs.

"Who's that Pokémon?" Shauna asked.

"It's Surskit!" Brighton answered, Trevor holding up his Pokédex.

"_Surskit, the Pond Skater Pokémon,_" Trevor's Pokédex described. "_They typically live on ponds, and can actually skate across the surface of water._"

"Surskit, cool them off with Bubble Beam!" a voice called, revealing a young woman with sandy blonde hair, dark green eyes, and wearing a white tank top and olive baggy pants with a camera hanging over her shoulder. At her order, the Surskit shot out a huge blast of rapid-fire light blue bubbles, which smacked into the Dunsparce horde and left them soaked. However, this did little to cause them to relax, as they now charged Surskit, who dodged rather easily.

"Vivillon, Sleep Powder!" the young woman shouted, hurling a Poké Ball that unleashed a butterfly-like Pokémon with pink, pixel-patterned wings. It quickly beat its wings hard, releasing a cloud of green spores on the Dunsparce. Within moments, the group all fell asleep, having breathed in the spores. Intrigued, Trevor pointed his Pokédex up at the new Pokémon, scanning it.

"_Vivillon, the Scale Pokémon, and the evolved form of Spewpa,_" the Pokédex declared. "_Vivillon with many different patterns are found all over the world, each depending on the climate and topography of its habitat._"

"Wow, who knew Scatterbug could become something so beautiful?!" Shauna exclaimed as Vivillon landed on the young blonde woman's arm, nuzzling her lovingly.

"Oh man, thank you so much, Miss Viola!" Brighton nearly wept.

"Who?" Trevor asked.

"That's Viola, the Santalune City Gym Leader!" Brighton explained, surprising Trevor and Shauna.

* * *

"You're lucky I came," Viola said as the group was assembled at the gates to Santalune City a little while later. "I was doing some extra-curricular training with my Pokémon when I heard all the commotion. At first, I thought it was just a couple of Trainers battling."

Trevor blushed, embarrassed. "My Pikachu's Discharge. It kinda hit the Dunsparce horde while they were resting."

Viola sighed. "Lemme guess: Your Pikachu JUST learned the move?" Trevor nodded, Pikachu bowing his head. "It's alright. Most Electric-type Pokémon have trouble mastering Discharge right away."

"Pardon me, but how do you know that?" Shauna asked.

"While my Gym is primarily for Bug-types, my team also has a weakness against Electric-type moves," Viola explained, "so a lot of challengers try to beat me using electricity."

Shauna shot a glance at Brighton, who scratched the back of his head and whistled innocently. "Ah. Suddenly puts a few things in perspective."

"Oh, believe me, I'm well aware that THIS one wants a shot at winning my Badge someday," Viola said with a smirk, Brighton and Pansage blushing a little. "He can be a little bit of trouble from time to time."

Trevor shot an accusatory look at Brighton. "You mean Viola's had to bail you out of trouble before?!"

"Eheh, kinda?" Brighton whimpered.

"...Still, I can't argue with his attitude," Viola admitted. "After all, serious Trainers SHOULD be willing to take risks and make mistakes. It's the only way they'll learn and grow. And judging from the number of mistakes HE'S made, I'd say he's bound to grow into quite the strong Trainer someday."

"You really think so?!" Brighton asked, his face beaming.

"Provided you can keep up with your studies, that is," Viola reminded the schoolboy.

"Yes ma'am!" Brighton shouted, Pansage actually saluting the Gym Leader. "And I promise that if I ever see those Dunsparce again, I'll apologize for what happened!"

"Maybe it might be best if you stayed away from those Dunsparce," Trevor suggested, sweat-dropping a little before looking to Pikachu. "Though personally, I think SOMEONE should apologize to them..."

Pikachu's ears dropped a little, Viola giggling at the group. "Well, I suppose I should head back to the Gym. If you're ever in the area, don't be a stranger, okay?"

The group nodded as Viola headed back in the direction of the Gym, Trevor scratching his chin. "So, that's Viola, huh? Man, Serena and Calem are gonna have a tough challenge against her if they head there."

Shauna sighed hard, her shoulders slumping. "Oh jeez, I nearly forgot about that. Can we please just find the others and head to the Pokémon Centre first? I'm EXHAUSTED."

"Yeah, I think that might be best," Trevor replied, feeling a bit tired out himself and taking notice of how they all looked a bit worse for wear. "How about you, Brighton?"

"I'm gonna head home for now and try for an Electric-type tomorrow," Brighton explained, still blushing a little out of embarrassment. "And hey, thanks again for your help."

Trevor nodded. "Hey, Trainers should try to help each other out, right?"

Brighton smiled, digging in his pockets until he pulled out a pair of blue and white Poké Balls with two red stripes across the top. "Still, I feel like I should give you something for your troubles. These Great Balls will help you catch Pokémon strong enough to break outta ordinary Poké Balls."

"Wow, thanks!" Trevor gasped as he and Shauna both took one. "We'll put 'em to good use, I promise."

"Right," Brighton said with a nod. "Well, I better go. See ya guys!"

"Bye!" Shauna called as the schoolboy went his separate way, Pansage waving at the group. "Best wishes!"

* * *

Later in the day, after Trevor and Shauna had regrouped with Calem, Tierno, and Serena, and had returned to the Pokémon Centre, the group all sat around on the sofas in the waiting room. Trevor had finally finished relaying the whole story to the group, during which Pikachu continuously turned progressively deeper shades of red.

"Sounds like you guys had one hell of a trip, huh?!" Tierno asked.

"Ugh, tell me about it," Trevor groaned. "I don't wanna see another Dunsparce for a LONG time."

Shauna sweatdropped. "Umm, this is probably a bad time to mention, then...but, when those Dunsparce were nodded off, and Viola was escorting us back to Santalune..."

_Shauna sighed sadly, recalling her KO'd Pansear. She then turned to head after the group as they walked toward the gates to Santalune City, but stopped as she nearly tripped over one of the sleeping Dunsparce. Looking over the group, they looked both sound asleep and low on health, and she couldn't help but stop herself from grinning deviously as she pulled out an empty Poké Ball from her bag._

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Trevor demanded. "THOSE DUNSPARCE TRIED TO STEAMROLL US!"

"Y-Yeah, but only because we attacked them first," Shauna defended, digging out a Poké Ball. "I'm sure Dun-Dun won't cause us any problems. Right, Dun-Dun?"

Suddenly, the Poké Ball popped open, releasing the Dunsparce. He floated up in the sky for a moment before coming down, grabbing hold of one of Shauna's brown pigtails with his teeth. The girl cried out, less in pain and more in surprise and fear, as she leaped off the sofa.

"AHHH!" Shauna screamed, running around as Dun-Dun kept a grip on her hair. "GET HIM OFF ME! **GET! HIM! OFF! ME!**"

Trevor facepalmed hard. "I hate to say I told her so..."

"Man, Viola sounds like she's gonna be tough to beat!" Calem said to Serena as Tierno tried to pry Dunsparce from Shauna.

"Sounds like, but I'm looking forward to battling her," Serena admitted. "In fact, as soon as I've finished supper, I'm heading straight there!"

Calem nodded. "Me too! I can't wait to see you two in action!"

Serena smiled warmly, feeling confident in spite of the odds. She looked to her friends, giggling as Tierno had successfully pulled Dun-Dun off of Shauna and was now trying to talk him down, all while Shauna hid behind Trevor and Pikachu. Sure, her friends had a few screws loose, but if they were behind her at the Gym Battle, she knew that she had a good chance of proving herself as a strong Trainer against even the Gym Leader and her fearsome Bug-types.

* * *

**Pokémon Spotlight!**

Shauna's Pansear, 'Panana'  
Nickname: Panana  
Ability: Gluttony  
Gender: Male  
Nature: Hasty  
Characteristic: Likes to fight  
Attacks: Incinerate, Fury Swipes, Flame Charge

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTES:_** So, I hope you liked this method of telling how the team's separate adventures unfolded was told. Just thought I'd give it a try to see how people react to it. Also, Brighton was mostly planned for a character of the day, but I already have plans for him to show up once more later on. In fact, much like in Best Wishes (on of the few things they actually did RIGHT), I was thinking of creating situations where a lot of characters that would usually be once-offs can make cameos and returns.

Anyway, check in next time as Serena takes on Viola in a two-on-two Singles Battle at the Santalune City Gym for the Bug Badge! Ja né!


	6. Battle 6: Walking Into Surskit Webs!

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ **I do not own Pokémon. Pokémon is published and owned by Japanese video game company Nintendo, and was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996.**

**The following is a loose novelization of the events of the video games Pokémon X & Y. Several events, lines of dialogue, and Pokémon owned by the characters will therefore be different.**

* * *

Serena gasped in awe as the group entered the Santalune City Gym. The main lobby was a simple white room with a number of portraits hanging from the walls, all photos of various Bug-type Pokémon in their natural habitats. The group was breathless at the sight of them all, though Calem was particularly drawn to one of several Vivillon, all with different patterns on their wings.

"Wow, I wonder what mine'll look like when he evolves," Calem wondered aloud.

"Well, I checked the Pokédex during supper, and it looks like there are more kinds of Vivillon being spotted all the time," Shauna replied. "It could be any one of these, or none of them."

Calem smiled. "Well, I guess the most important thing is that he's strong and healthy, right?"

Shauna nodded. "Yeah, but there's nothing that says he can't be pretty, too."

Eventually moving on, the five Trainers and Trevor's Pikachu found themselves entering the central room of the Gym. The battlefield was built in the middle of a greenhouse of sorts, with tall trees standing around it with webs connecting them. The skylight was opened, the sun's rays pouring in on the trees. Peering around, the group eventually caught sight of Viola. She seemed to be helping a younger blonde girl in a black schoolgirl's outfit feed an orange-brown worm Pokémon with violet-red nose and a horn on its head. As the friends drew closer, Viola spotted them, smiling warmly at the gang.

"Oh, Trevor, Pikachu, Shauna, welcome!" she greeted as the team approached her. "I suppose these must be your friends?"

Serena extended a hand. "My name is Serena, and I'm actually here to challenge you to a Gym Battle, if you don't mind."

Viola smirked, shaking Serena's hand. "Oh, a new challenger, huh? Sounds like fun. And your two friends are?"

"Hi, I'm Calem!" Calem greeted. "I'm just getting started being a Pokémon Trainer, but I've been learning a lot from my mom and my friends."

"I'm Tierno, and I'm trying to raise a team of Pokémon with lots of unique moves!" Tierno exclaimed, doing a quick spin that got a giggle out of Viola.

"Say, who is this Pokémon?" Shauna asked, taking out her Pokédex and scanning the schoolgirl's Bug-type as Pikachu greeted it.

"_Weedle, the Hairy Bug Pokémon,_" the Pokédex described. "_Often found in forests and grasslands, its brightly coloured body and poison stinger are meant to frighten larger predators away._"

"Part of my job as a Bug-type Gym Leader is to impart my knowledge of Bug-type Pokémon to other Trainers, like Charlotte here," Viola explained.

The schoolgirl, Charlotte, nodded as she stood up. "Viola's a wonderful teacher! She even lets me referee her Gym Battles!"

Trevor scratched the back of his head, spotting the camera hung from Viola's shoulder. "Say, Viola? Did you take all of those pictures in the main lobby?"

Viola smiled. "You bet! One of my passions is Pokémon photography! I wanna share all the most beautiful sights and sides of Pokémon with the whole world!"

"That's amazing!" Serena exclaimed. "Maybe when our battle's over, you could show me some more of your work?"

Viola winked at the honey-haired girl. "Well then, we better fit the battle in right away! Just so you know, though, I won't go easy on you!"

* * *

Within a few minutes, the group was assembled in the centre of the Gym. Calem, Trevor, Pikachu, Tierno, and Shauna were all seated in some stands, along with a few other Trainers from around the Gym. Serena was standing at one end of the battlefield, while Viola was standing at the other, and Charlotte was on the sidelines with a pair of flags, a blue one and a red one. A big screen on the wall behind her came on, with the two Trainers' faces on it, and the image of two transparent Poké Balls under each portrait.

"The following is a 2-on-2 Singles Battle!" Charlotte declared. "During this battle, the challenger, Serena Yvonne of Vaniville Town, will be allowed to substitute Pokémon! The Gym Leader, Viola, will not! Victory against the Gym Leader will award the challenger the Bug Badge! Viola, as Gym Leader, the first choice of Pokémon is yours!"

"Right!" Viola called, pulling a Poké Ball. "Surskit, c'mon out!" The Gym Leader tossed the Poké Ball, which released Surskit to the field.

_Surskit,_ Serena though. _Based on what Shauna told me, it's a super fast Bug/Water-type that knows Bubble Beam, so Fennekin's not a good choice. That leaves..._

"Fletchling, time to battle!" Serena shouted, unleashing her Tiny Robin Pokémon from her Poké Ball. The screen quickly cut a line between the two, with Viola on the blue side and Serena on the red side. One of their Poké Balls each were filled, the image of their first choices overlapping the ball.

"Let the battle begin!" Charlotte exclaimed, throwing her flags up.

"Surskit, Quick Attack!" Viola ordered, Surskit speeding across the field with a white light peeling off her body.

"You use Quick Attack too, Fletchling!" Serena yelled, the Normal/Flying-type zooming at Surskit.

"Hmm, in a head-to-head confrontation using the same Normal-type move, Fletchling's should have more power backing it," Trevor suggested as the two Pokémon rushed each other, colliding hard. However, despite Trevor's prediction, Fletchling was knocked back a bit more than Surskit, causing him to sweatdrop. "...Then again, if Surskit is better trained than Fletchling, that could more than make up the difference!"

"Surskit, Bubble Beam!" Viola commanded, Surskit firing a barrage of light blue bubbles at Fletchling.

"Dodge, and use Peck!" Serena shouted, Fletchling speeding around the bubbles and pecking at Surskit, knocking her off her feet for a moment.

"Awesome move, Serena!" Calem cheered. "That Peck was Super-Effective!"

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu called out cheerfully.

Viola smiled. "So, your Fletchling's Ability must be Gale Wings, meaning you never needed to use Quick Attack to keep up with Surskit."

Serena smiled back confidently. "I just wanted to see how the two compared right off the bat."

"Well, keep up with this: Ice Beam!" Viola yelled as the Pond Skater Pokémon launched an ice-blue beam at Fletchling, clipping the edge of her wing and freezing it, causing her to fly slower.

"That's not good!" Tierno cried. "If that move had made direct contact, it could've frozen Fletchling completely!"

"Follow it up with Bubble Beam!" Viola commanded, Surskit leveling the Tiny Robin Pokémon with rapid-fire bubbles.

"Fletchling, heal up with Roost!" Serena ordered. Fletchling immediately landed on the ground, her body shimmering gently as her health was partially restored.

"Surskit, how's about showing them what REAL speed is all about?" Viola suggested. "Use Rain Dance!" Surskit nodded, dancing around the field like a figure skater as the clouds over the Gym started to darken, rain dripping down on the field.

"Wow, a move that makes it rain by dancing?!" Tierno demanded, smiling widely. "That's AWESOME!"

"Not for Serena," Trevor noted, Pikachu huddling into his bag as rain dripped onto his nose. "Surskit gains additional speed in the rain with her Swift Swim Ability."

"Now, Quick Attack!" Viola shouted, Surskit speeding across the field like a blue blur and slamming past Fletchling. Then, as if one wasn't bad enough, Surskit bounced off the webbing between the trees and smacked into Fletchling again, and again, Fletchling unable to keep up.

"Fletchling, return!" Serena cried, recalling her Pokémon to her Poké Ball before she could be knocked out, the ball onscreen turning gray behind Fletchling's image. "Rest up for now, okay?"

Serena looked back to the battlefield, examining it. _With those webs hanging around, Surskit can bounce around like a hockey puck strapped to a rocket. The only way to put a stop to this is to take them out!_

"Fennekin, time for battle!" Serena called, releasing her Fox Pokémon to the field. "Use Ember on the webs!" Fennekin nodded, leaping up and spitting fireballs at the webbing. Despite being slightly hampered by the rain, the fire was able to ruin the webs before being doused.

"Smart move!" Viola commented. "But not smart enough! Surskit, use Bubble Beam!"

"Fennekin, Light Screen!" Serena commanded as the Pond Skater Pokémon began to fire her light blue bubbles. Fennekin's eyes glowed as she projected a yellow energy field around herself, halving the damage from Bubble Beam. Despite this, the rain caused the bubbles to be far more powerful than normal, thus inflicting severe damage.

"Anything else you can think of to hang in there?" Viola asked with a grin.

Serena grinned back as she saw Fennekin start to burn with a fiery aura. "I can think of one: My Fennekin's Blaze Ability! When she's low on health, her Fire-type attacks do a lot more damage, and I know just the one to use: **OVERHEAT!**" Fennekin took in a deep breath, her body glowing bright red, before unleashing a massive orange-yellow stream of fire that engulfed Surskit. As the flames died down, Surskit fell to her side, coughing out a puff of smoke as she was knocked loopy.

"Surskit is unable to battle!" Charlotte declared, raising the red flag as Surskit's image onscreen faded to black. "Victory in this round goes to Fennekin!"

"You battled well, Surskit," Viola complimented her Pokémon as she recalled her, "now take a well-deserved rest."

Viola observed Fennekin, who was left nearly breathless from the last exchange. Doesn't look like Fennekin will have much strength. Still, it's 2-on-1, so I better play it careful. Good thing for me, my last Pokémon excels at that.

"Vivillon, let's go!" Viola yelled, tossing a Poké Ball that summoned her Bug/Flying-type to the field.

"So, that's her Vivillon," Calem said, releasing his Spewpa from his Poké Ball and sitting him in his lap. "Spewpa, I want you to pay close attention to this battle, okay?"

Spewpa nodded as Serena called for the next attack. "Fennekin, let's finish this before she can get a single hit in! Overheat!" Fennekin gave a small howl, her body glowing red before letting loose another stream of flames. However, not only did this one look far less impressive than the last one, but Vivillon was able to dodge it almost effortlessly. "...Wh-What?!"

"Sorry, Serena, but you forgot an important rule when it comes to Overheat!" Viola called across the field. "It reduces the user's Special Attack, so every time you use it, Fennekin's special moves become less powerful!"

Serena's eyes went wide. _Oh crap! All of my Fennekin's best moves make use of her Special Attack!_

"Vivillon, Gust!" Viola ordered, Vivillon beating her wings hard to create a breeze so strong that it sent Fennekin into a tree, knocking her out.

"Fennekin is unable to battle!" Charlotte shouted, raising her blue flag as Fennekin's image onscreen faded to black. "Vivillon wins the round!"

"Fennekin, return!" Serena called, pulling the Fox Pokémon back into her ball. "You did great, Fennekin."

"Holy crap, that Vivillon of Viola's is really well trained," Calem noted, Spewpa squirming a little.

"And both were quick to capitalize on Serena's single mistake," Trevor added.

"And now, Serena's down to just Fletchling, and she's already taken some damage in battle," Shauna observed. "I dunno if she can pull off a win here."

"Well, she's still got a type advantage, so I'm thinking it's all gonna come down to who can get the first good move in," Tierno replied.

Serena took in a deep breath, trying to clear her mind. As she did, though, she noticed the rain finally stop, replaced by the sun's warm rays again. Getting an idea, she quickly grabbed hold of Fletchling's Poké Ball and sent her back out. "Okay, Fletchling, let's do this! Flame Charge!"

Fletchling nodded, beating her wings hard as her body glowed red. Within moments, she was encased in an orb of red and yellow flames, which flew along with her as she swooped for Vivillon. The Scale Pokémon tried to dodge, but Fletchling was flying too fast, and while direct contact wasn't made, the Normal/Flying-type was able to catch plenty of wing.

"Vivillon, Sleep Powder!" Viola ordered, the Scale Pokémon still able to beat her wings enough to send out green dust into Fletchling's face, causing her to collapse to the field as she drifted asleep.

"Fletchling, wake up!" Serena shouted.

"Time for the finish!" Viola called. "Vivillon, Dream Eater!" Vivillon's eyes glowed crimson as she released a shadow-like copy of herself that swooped down and passed through Fletchling, draining the last of her health and knocking her out.

"Fletchling is unable to battle!" Charlotte declared, throwing the blue flag up once again as Fletchling's image onscreen faded to black, and a 'WINNER' logo appeared under Viola's portrait. "Vivillon wins the round! The winner of this battle is the Gym Leader, Viola!"

Serena smiled sadly, recalling Fletchling. "You did great, Fletchling. I'm very proud of you."

Viola walked across the battlefield, Vivillon landing on her arm and nuzzling against her. "You battled well, Serena. Using Flame Charge once the rain stopped was a good idea."

Serena nodded. "Yeah, but I totally messed up that Overheat combo. I should've switched out immediately after the first one, so Fennekin would've recovered from losing her Special Attack. Plus, by the time she would've come back out, the rain would've stopped, so Overheat would have had even more power to it."

Viola grinned, putting a hand to the honey-haired girl's shoulder. "That's the way, Serena: Don't let defeat get you down, learn from it and grow smarter as a result."

Serena smiled back. "Right!"

"That was an awesome battle, Serena!" Shauna cheered as she and the others came over, the pigtailed girl giving her friend a hug.

"Thanks, you guys," Serena replied, blushing a little.

"Some kickass moves in that battle, too!" Tierno added. "Viola, you've GOTTA show my Corphish how to use Rain Dance!"

Viola sweatdropped. "Well, I'm more used to teaching Bug-type Pokémon, but sure, I think I could manage it."

Trevor sighed in relief. "Then once that's done, we can FINALLY keep going to Lumiose City."

"Hold it!" Calem exclaimed, getting everyone's attention, as suddenly both Spewpa AND Chespin were both out of their Poké Balls. "Tierno, you can learn to use Rain Dance if you want, but after that, I'M challenging Viola to a Gym Battle!"

"HUH?!" everyone asked, their jaws a bit slack.

"I realized it, watching this battle," Calem explained. "Shauna, you asked me back in the forest what I wanted to do on this journey, and now I know: I wanna take the Pokémon League Gym Challenge!"

Viola smiled. "So, aiming high, huh? Sounds good to me. Then tomorrow, we have our battle at high noon!"

"Wow, so it's your turn tomorrow, huh?" Shauna asked Calem. "That's gonna be a great battle. I can't wait to see what you and your Pokémon come up with."

Trevor just looked from one person to the next, jaw hanging open as he tried to fathom the situation, before his shoulders dropped and he just stared down at the ground. "...We're never getting back to the lab again, I swear..."

* * *

**Pokémon Spotlight!**

Serena's Fennekin  
Ability: Blaze  
Gender: Female  
Nature: Lonely  
Characteristic: Likes to relax  
Attacks: Ember, Light Screen, Overheat

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTES:_** So, kind of a short chapter this time, but that's only because there wasn't really much to tell with this one. It was just Serena's battle with Viola, and it was a simple 2-on-2 Singles Battle, so not much length to go into that. Also, for those that are bothered by the fact that Serena didn't win the Bug Badge, just keep in mind that her goals aren't to become Champion or the like. She'll have other goals and accomplishments, this was just to show off her skills at this stage since we hadn't really seen much of her battling.

Anyway, check in next time as Calem gets a turn at bat, and we'll see if he can hit a homer and win the Bug Badge or not! Ja né!


	7. Battle 7: Scaling the Scale Pokémon!

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ **I do not own Pokémon. Pokémon is published and owned by Japanese video game company Nintendo, and was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996.**

**The following is a loose novelization of the events of the video games Pokémon X & Y. Several events, lines of dialogue, and Pokémon owned by the characters will therefore be different.**

* * *

Trevor groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose as he watched Tierno and Corphish work on Rain Dance, Serena and Shauna cheering them on. He'd planned for the group to continue their trek to Lumiose City long ago, but was delayed by chasing after Pikachu, Tierno trading Pokémon, and Serena challenging the Santalune City Gym Leader. Still, he could handle a day's delay. But now Calem wanted to challenge the Gym too, and Tierno was working with Corphish to perfect Rain Dance, meaning it'd be sometime after lunch, maybe even the next day before they finally left Santalune.

Pikachu patted the ginger-haired boy on the shoulder, trying to cheer him up. "Yeah, I know, Pikachu. I just wish we could continue on with our frigging mission, instead of wasting time around here."

"Is it really wasting time, when you think about it?" a voice asked, causing Trevor to look behind him in surprise as Viola walked up.

"V-Viola?" Trevor stammered.

Viola smiled. "Based on what Shauna and Tierno told me, your journey is to gather information on Pokémon for the Pokédex. But isn't recording how Pokémon behave in battle and how they learn new, complex moves and tactics all a part of your studies?"

Trevor looked back to Corphish as he danced around, gathering blueish energy as the clouds started to darken a little. "...I guess that's true."

"Travelling, battling, training, and even things like eating, playing, and relaxing," Viola explained. "Every Pokémon has their own ways of doing these things, and as long as that's the case, there's always endless bits of information you can gather. I realized that while I was going around as a photographer, that there's no limit to the kinds of things I can catch Pokémon doing through my lens."

Trevor nodded, blinking in surprise as he felt a raindrop hit his nose, Tierno whooping at Corphish's achievement. Trevor grinned at the two as they danced in celebration. "...Well, then I guess regrouping with Professor Sycamore can wait a LITTLE while longer."

Viola smiled warmly. "By the way, where's Calem? Isn't he supposed to be preparing for our battle?"

"I think he said he was doing some last-minute training on Ouvert Way," Trevor replied. "I wonder what he's got planned for your Bug-type Pokémon, though? I mean, Serena's Fletchling had a type advantage, and we saw how well that worked, but neither of Calem's Pokémon look like they'd stand up well in a battle against Bug-types."

"True, but you never know," Viola responded, looking away. "And that fantastic glint in his eye told me that he was up to the challenge. Speaking of which..."

Trevor looked off to where Viola was staring. Sure enough, Calem was marching back toward the group, grinning confidently. Looking him in the eye, Trevor couldn't help but feel like he'd seen that same confidence before, when he battled Grace in Vaniville Town. Clearly, she had a far bigger impact on him than he was aware of.

"Well, I think my team's ready," Calem said as he approached Viola.

"You don't wanna rest up at the Pokémon Centre first?" Viola asked, a bit concerned.

Calem shook his head. "Nah, they've had some Oran Berries to heal up after training. They'll be fine."

"Alright then," Viola replied, grinning back. "Let's head to the Gym and get the battle underway!"

* * *

A little less than half an hour later, the group was assembled back in the Gym, Calem standing where Serena had once been while his friends looked on. This time, however, the stands had a few more observers, as the Santalune Pokémon School decided to have a field trip to the Gym today and were invited to watch the battle. Trevor smiled as he watched a familiar schoolboy with brown hair and glasses walk over and have a seat next to him.

"Brighton, good to see you again!" Trevor greeted, bumping fists with the boy.

"You too!" Brighton replied. "Good news, I managed to expand my team a bit. With any luck, my parents will let me take a leave so I can start travelling soon!"

"Awesome!" Trevor exclaimed. "Just remember to try and stay outta trouble, okay? I can't be around to save your ass all the time!"

Brighton smirked. "If I recall, your Pikachu helped cause a lot of that trouble, and Viola had to save us both...Speaking of which, where is Pikachu?"

Trevor sighed, hiking a thumb toward the bottom of the stands. There, wearing a pink and black cheerleader costume, complete with pompoms, was Shauna, cheering for Calem before the battle even started, while her Pokémon also waved pompoms around. She'd even managed to rope Pikachu and Serena's Fennekin into waving flags for Calem, the latter holding one between her teeth.

"...Why is she doing a cheer for Calem?" Brighton asked.

"The question you'll soon be asking is 'Why haven't we gagged her yet'," Trevor sort-of answered.

"Apparently, after Serena's battle, she said she didn't do enough to cheer her on," Tierno noted, leaning in. "And hey, it's not THAT embarrassing."

Serena giggled, blushing. "No, the embarrassing part is that YOU wanted to get in on the fun, but she wouldn't let you since she didn't have a male cheerleader's outfit your size."

"I'M CURVY, AND I DAMNED WELL LIKE IT!" Tierno roared.

Calem sweatdropped a little at his friends' antics, but quickly got his head back in the game as Charlotte walked to the centre of the sidelines, the big screen displaying the two combatants. "The following is a 2-on-2 Singles Battle, meaning only one Pokémon out at a time, and only one reserve allowed! During this battle, the challenger, Calem Xavier of Vaniville Town, will be allowed to substitute the Pokémon on the field for his reserve! The Gym Leader, Viola, will not, and can only switch out when a Pokémon is knocked out! Victory against both of the Gym Leader's Pokémon will award the challenger the Bug Badge!"

"So Calem, ready to give these kids a show?!" Viola asked.

"And win my first Badge!" Calem answered, fist clenching a Poké Ball.

"Then let's get started!" Viola called, tossing a ball. "Surskit, go!" A flash of light later, and Viola's Pond Skater Pokémon was on the field.

"Chespin, I choose you!" Calem shouted, hurling his Poké Ball and unleashing the Spiky Nut Pokémon to face Surskit.

Trevor scratched his chin, analyzing the situation. _Hmm, Chespin against Surskit, huh? Type-wise, even though Chespin's Grass-type attacks won't do much against Bug-Types, he'll still be able to resist Surskit's Bubble Beam, and might have enough endurance against Quick Attack...but then there's that Ice Beam. If he gets hit with that, he's in serious trouble._

"Alright then, let the battle begin!" Charlotte declared, throwing her red and blue flags up.

"Surskit, Quick Attack!" Viola ordered, Surskit rushing across the field in a streak of white light.

"Chespin, Defense Curl!" Calem commanded, Chespin rolling up into a ball as his body shimmered with yellow light for a moment, his physical defense increasing. Sure enough, Surskit merely smacked clean off him, doing next to no damage.

"Surskit, use the webs to pick up speed!" Viola shouted, Surskit using the momentum from bouncing off Chespin to hit the webs, then bounce back at Chespin, knocking his rolled up body off the ground and into the air.

"Oh crap!" Tierno cursed. "Even Chespin's increased defense couldn't stand up to that move!"

However, despite this, Calem grinned and called out, "Chespin, use Rollout on the webs!" Sure enough, to everyone's surprise, Chespin spun his rolled up body in mid-air, turning to bounce off the webs and collide hard with Surskit, knocking her back several feet.

"Whoa, that Rock-type Rollout was Super-Effective!" Trevor shouted in shock.

"Not to mention speedy!" Brighton added. "How'd he do that?!"

"I get it!" Serena exclaimed, smiling widely. "Calem saw how Surskit used the webs to build momentum for her charging attacks, so he had Chespin use the same tactic!"

"Wait a minute..." Trevor said, eyes widening. "That Rollout looks exactly like the one the Dunsparce leader used on us yesterday! Don't tell me he went back there to learn that move from it!"

"THAT'S why he went back to Ouvert Way to train!" Tierno realized. "Man, he's a lot smarter than I thought!"

Viola's eye twitched, having overheard everything the others were saying. "Surskit, use Bubble Beam to knock him off-course!" Surskit leaped up and shot an array of light-blue bubbles at the speeding Chespin, only for his Grass-type body to plough straight through them, bounce off a web, and slam into Surskit, knocking her back to the ground.

"Yeah, that's the way, Chespin!" Shauna cheered, the Pokémon around her waving their flags and pompoms.

"Okay then, let's see how you handle against Ice Beam!" Viola nearly roared, Surskit unleashing a frosty beam at Chespin, managing to freeze his foot in a block of ice and send him tumbling out of the Rollout. "Once more, Surskit!"

"Chespin, Vine Whip on the trees!" Calem ordered, Chespin releasing a pair of vines from his head and wrapping them around a nearby tree. He then pulled himself away, just before the second Ice Beam could make contact, and slammed his foot on a branch, breaking free of the ice.

_This kid's good,_ Viola thought. _He's learning to use the field and his Pokémon's unique characteristics to his advantage on the fly. Let's see how he handles against THIS, though..._

"Surskit, Ice Beam on the field!" Viola called, Surskit spinning around and freezing the ground, coating it with solid ice.

"Uh oh!" Trevor groaned.

"What, what's wrong?" Tierno asked.

"Just watch..." Trevor replied, gulping.

"Chespin, let's try Rollout on the webs one more time!" Calem ordered, Chespin leaping out of the tree and rolling into a ball again, bouncing off the webs. This time, however, upon hitting the ice, he started to skid around, unable to control himself, and missed Surskit, hitting a tree instead as the Bug/Water-type skated across the ice with ease.

"Oh man, NOW I get it!" Tierno said. "Chespin can't keep good traction on the ice!"

Viola grinned. "Surskit, Bubble Beam!"

"Chespin, Pin Missile!" Calem commanded, Chespin releasing white pins coated in emerald light from his head. The pins managed to pop the Bubble Beam, but Surskit herself was able to zip around and dodge the attacks.

"Sorry, Calem, but rolling up into a soccer ball won't save Chespin this time!" Viola called over as Surskit skated across the ice-covered terrain. "And Surskit's way too fast on this field to catch otherwise!"

Calem grit his teeth, observing the field. _She's right...Wait, not soccer, HOCKEY!_

"Chespin, use Defense Curl while laying on your side!" Calem shouted, Chespin immediately doing as was told as he curled up on his side, looking like a wheel lying flat on the ground.

"Now what's he up to?" Serena wondered aloud.

"Alright, now use Vine Whip on the tree behind Surskit!" Calem ordered, Chespin sending his vines out to pull himself toward Surskit while still rolled onto his side.

Viola blinked, confused. "What is he...Surskit, dodge it!" Surskit nodded, dodging the attack easily.

"Chespin, use your vines on the trees to steer yourself across the ice!" Calem called, Chespin doing just that to swerve around the tree, chasing after Surskit while picking up speed.

"Whoa, just when I thought I'd seen everything!" Tierno exclaimed. "He's having Chespin slide across the ice like a hockey puck!"

"Surskit, leap over him and use Bubble Beam!" Viola ordered, Surskit following her commands and leaping up and over Chespin as he whizzed by, hitting him with Bubble Beam and sending him airborne, headed right for a web.

"Chespin, Rollout on your side!" Calem shouted, Chespin spinning his body hard and bouncing off the webs, side-swiping Surskit and sending her crashing down before sliding across the ice toward a tree. "Vine Whip!" The Spiky Nut Pokémon reached his vines out, wrapping them around the tree and swerving around it. Before Surskit could recover in time, she found herself getting slammed by the speeding Grass-type and knocked out cold, while on the ice no less.

"Surskit's unable to battle!" Charlotte declared, raising the red flag in her right hand as Surskit's image on the big screen faded to black. "Victory in this round goes to Chespin!"

Shauna cheered from the sidelines, waving her pompoms in the air. "Calem, Calem, he's the best! He can always see my-"

"There are school kids here!" Serena yelled, blushing bright red. "Also, EW!"

"...I was gonna say 'zest', you pervert!" Shauna replied, sticking her tongue out as Serena slumped back in her seat, embarrassed out of her mind.

Viola smiled sadly as she recalled Surskit. "You did amazingly well, Surskit. Rest easily while I take care of the rest." Reaching to her belt, Viola grabbed another Poké Ball and chucked it into the air, releasing her Vivillon as she hovered over the field.

_Looks like it's Vivillon now,_ Trevor thought. _We've already seen what this Pokémon's capable of. She's really fast, can make a whole horde of opponents go to sleep, and her Dream Eater could be an instant knockout if Chespin's taken too much damage._

Meanwhile, Calem was watching Vivillon intently, thinking the same thing. _Vivillon's Gust and Dream Eater attacks are super-strong, and her speed's gonna be a problem if this drags out for too long, so I better end this right away. Chespin's Rollout is a Rock-type attack, so Vivillon's Bug/Flying-typing should make it extremely weak to that attack. If Chespin can hit it, we might just win in one attack. But if he misses..._

"Chespin, Rollout!" Calem shouted, Chespin bouncing off a web and spinning straight for Vivillon.

"Dodge it!" Viola commanded, Vivillon shifting in mid-air. The gap between the two Pokémon rapidly shrunk, and as they came close together, the Scale Pokémon beat her right wing, performing a mid-air spin around Chespin as he flew harmlessly by.

"_**OH NO!**_" the group shouted from the stands.

"Chespin, Vine Whip on Vivillon's wings!" Calem ordered, the Spiky Nut Pokémon shooting a pair of vines out that grabbed hold of Vivillon's wings before she could react in time. "Now, bring her down!" Chespin uncurled his body, grabbing hold of the vines in his paws and hauling down hard on them. Vivillon was unable to fight back, getting slammed into the icy ground as Chespin slipped on it and fell on his behind, a little hurt but looking to be in a far better position than Vivillon.

"Holy crap!" Serena exclaimed, astonished. "How is he staying in the game this long?!"

"He's learned from one of the best," Trevor muttered. "His mom's tactics and use of the field, combined with sheer tenacity. He's bringing everything he learned from her to the battlefield, and then expanding on top of that with what he's learned from us, and from the people and Pokémon he's encountered along the way. There might not be any limit to what he can accomplish!"

Serena's eyes widened, looking at Calem's confident face: That of a champion in the making. _I wonder, could I ever become that strong too?_

"Vivillon, Gust!" Viola cried, her Bug/Flying-type beating her wings hard and sending a gust out that knocked Chespin into a tree, weakening him significantly.

"Aw man, it's still Bug/Flying on Grass, though!" Tierno pointed out. "Chespin should use Leech Seed to drain some health!"

"He can't!" Brighton retorted, surprising Tierno. "Pokémon can only know four moves at a time, and we've already seen Calem's Chespin use those four attacks! He can't use anything but those four moves!"

"Chespin, Vine Whip!" Calem ordered, Chespin whipping a pair of vines out.

"Sleep Powder!" Viola commanded, Vivillon sending out green spores that caused Chespin to nod off before he could complete his attack. "Now, Dream Eater!" Vivillon's glowed with a crimson aura as she released a ghostly copy of herself. It swooped through Chespin's sleeping body, draining the last of his health and knocking him out.

"Chespin is unable to battle!" Charlotte yelled, raising the blue flag as Fennekin's image onscreen faded to black. "Vivillon takes the round!"

"Oh no, Chespin!" Shauna exclaimed. "He was Calem's best shot at winning this!"

"Hate to say it, but Shauna's right," Trevor noted as Calem recalled Chespin. "I can't see how Spewpa can realistically win this fight against his flying evolved form."

"Then again, Calem's already thrown some crazy moves into this battle," Tierno noted.

"So it's still anyone's match," Serena added before cupping her hands over her mouth. "Go, Calem!"

Shauna's eyes brightened, climbing up the stands and grabbing Serena's arm. "Serena, I just got an idea! C'mon!"

As the rest of the building's occupants watched, the smaller girl hauled Serena down off the stands, grabbed her bag, and pulled her into a closet. Calem's eye twitched as he heard the sound of random banging and yelping from the closet. After about thirty seconds, the door finally swung open as Shauna proudly pulled Serena out, the latter dressed in a cheerleader's outfit of her own, except it was a bit tighter and the mini-skirt was doing a less effective job of keeping her covered.

"Okay, cheer on, girl!" Shauna yelled happily, passing a pair of pompoms to the embarrassed honey-haired teen.

Calem's face turned red as a tomato at the sight of the two, but quickly gave his head a shake, looking back to the field. "Well, I guess if those two are gonna cheer like that for me, I've GOTTA give it my all!"

Viola was likewise blushing at the sight of Serena in her outfit, and also had to shake herself out of it. "R-Right! Bring it on, Calem!"

"Spewpa, I choose you!" Calem shouted, tossing a Poké Ball and letting it open to reveal his Scatterdust Pokémon. He slipped a little on the ice, but managed to right himself, facing off against his evolved form a bit nervously.

"Well, a Bug vs Bug battle, huh?" Viola asked, smiling in excitement. "This should be great! Vivillon, Sleep Powder!" Vivillon beat her wings, sending more spores at Spewpa.

"Spewpa, Protect!" Calem ordered, Spewpa erecting a green force field around himself that stopped the Sleep Powder in its tracks. "Follow it up with Poison Powder!" The Scatterdust Pokémon shook the fur around his body, unleashing a small cloud of purple dust at Vivillon. She gave out a small cough as she breathed the spores in, her scales turning a little purple around the edges.

"Yeah, way to go Spewpa!" Shauna cheered happily.

"Now that Vivillon's poisoned, her health will keep dropping, making this a bit more in Spewpa's favour!"

"Like hell!" Viola shouted. "Facade!" Vivillon let out a shrill cry, her body glowing orange as she tackled into Spewpa hard and fast, sending him crashing into a tree.

Trevor's eyes widened. "Oh crap! Facade does more damage if the user has a status infliction! The poison is making it more powerful!"

"So THAT'S Vivillon's fourth move," Brighton realized, "the ace up her sleeve in case of emergencies..."

"Now, Sleep Powder!" Viola commanded. Vivillon released spores on the stunned Spewpa, wincing as the poison sent a shock through her body. Within moments, Spewpa was asleep.

"Spewpa, wake up!" Calem yelled.

"Dream Eater!" Viola roared, Vivillon sending out the ghostly illusion of herself out to attack Spewpa.

"Oh no!" Serena cried. "If this hits...!"

"Spewpa!" Shauna shouted.

Vivillon's copy swooped down at Spewpa, ready to drain his health. However, just as it neared, a low munching sound could be heard, and as the illusion passed through his body, Spewpa's eyes opened, looking to be perfectly okay, some purple berry juice smeared around the bottom of his face.

"...Wha..." Tierno stammered. "What just happened?"

Calem grinned. "Before the battle, I gave Spewpa a Chesto Berry and tucked it in his fur. As soon as he fell asleep, his unconscious instinct told him to eat the berry. And since Dream Eater only works when you're asleep, he didn't lose one bit of health!"

Viola laughed, face-palming. "I can't believe you thought that far ahead! But I can still beat you down with Facade!"

"Bring it on, Viola!" Calem shouted. Before either Trainer could issue a command, though, Spewpa's fur began to flash red before his whole body glowed, levitating up off the ground.

"Whoa!" Brighton exclaimed as Spewpa began to rotate. "Is he...?!"

As everyone watched on, Spewpa's body spun faster and faster, the light sending sparkles all over as his fur seemingly imploded and was replaced by a pair of wings. Finally, he came to a stop, and the light faded, revealing his slightly longer and thinner body on red wings with blue, white, and yellow pixelated patterns.

"Amazing!" Shauna yelled. "Spewpa evolved into a Vivillon!"

Calem smiled widely, pulling out his Pokédex as it began to read aloud, "_Vivillon, the Scale Pokémon, and the evolved form of Spewpa. Vivillon can be found all across the world with many different patterns, each dependent on the climate and topography of its habitat. These patterns continue to grow in number as they are discovered._"_  
_

"Congrats on evolving , Vivillon!" Calem said. "Now let's see you beat those wings! Use Gust!"

"Counter with your own Gust!" Viola shouted, suddenly getting VERY excited. The two Vivillon beat their wings hard, creating gusts of wind that collided with each other. After a few moments, though, Calem's Vivillon was able to break through, Viola's backing off and yelping in pain, made no better as the poison sapped more of her health.

"Use Facade!" Viola commanded, her Vivillon glowing orange and swooping at Calem's.

"Protect!" Calem ordered, his Vivillon creating a green force field that blocked Viola's Vivillon's attack. "Let's finish with Tackle!" Calem's Vivillon lunged forward hard, slamming into the gut of Viola's Vivillon and sending her crashing to the icy floor, fainting from the pain.

"Viola's Vivillon is unable to battle!" Charlotte declared, throwing the blue flag up once again as Vivillon's image onscreen faded to black, and a 'WINNER' logo appeared under Calem's portrait. "Calem's Vivillon wins the round! The winner of this battle is the challenger, Calem Xavier!"

"Alright, we did it, Vivillon!" Calem cheered, hugging his Scale Pokémon. However, Vivillon was so delighted that he accidentally released Poison Powder from his wings, causing Calem to fall backward, wincing as the poison took effect.

"Oh crap!" he heard Viola curse. "Quick, someone get some Pecha Berries!"

* * *

About an hour later, the group was assembled in the Pokémon Centre waiting room. Calem rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, while Chespin and Vivillon stood at his sides, the former giving the latter a dirty look. Apparently, Calem had blacked out shortly after getting poisoned, and when they didn't find a Pecha Berry in the Gym, they had to take him to the centre to be treated, a first for the Santalune City Pokémon Centre and its nursing staff.

"I guess Vivillon's still got his clumsy side to him, huh?" Calem said, chuckling nervously.

Viola giggled. "Perhaps, but he certainly came through for you in a pinch, as did Chespin. There's no doubt, after a picture perfect battle like that, you three deserve this..."

Viola reached into her pocket, digging out a badge shaped like a brown bug with green eyes. "Congratulations, Calem. I confer onto you the Bug Badge."

"Thank you, Viola!" Calem replied, taking the Bug Badge generously. "This means a lot to me!"

"You were amazing, Calem!" Shauna declared, smiling brightly.

"Watching that was great for my studies!" Brighton noted.

"I've gotta admit, that was a spectacular battle," Trevor acknowledged.

"Yeah, and the way you used Chespin like a hockey puck was so awesome!" Tierno added excitedly.

Serena smiled, stepping up to Calem. "Calem, that was a great battle, and you definitely earned that badge. But just so you know, from now on, I'm gonna shoot to be just as strong as you, and one day, I hope to have a battle with you that'll be even more amazing."

Calem smiled back, nodding. "You're on!...Um, but when we battle, can you please not wear 'the outfit'? It's a little distracting..."

Serena blushed brightly, realizing she still hadn't changed out of her cheerleader attire. "CRAP! Be right back!" With that, she tore off for the changing room in the back, the others laughing as she ran.

"I don't know, I thought that look really suited her," Viola admitted, giggling.

"...So, making new friends, sis?"

The group turned to the front doors of the Pokémon Centre. Standing there, with a hand on her hip, was a slightly older girl than Viola, with brown hair and similar dark green eyes as the Gym Leader's. She carried a pack that had a camcorder and an iPad inside, and had a certain look of elegance combined with a sharp glance that only a journalist could ever possess.

"Whoa, it's Alexa, of the Lumiose Press!" Trevor exclaimed. "What's she doing here?!"

Viola smiled warmly, giving a small wave. "Oh, hey sis!"

Trevor blinked in shock. "...Alexa is your older sister?!"

"Fun fact," Alexa noted as she strutted over, "Viola used to want to be a photographer for the Lumiose Press, but then she turned out to be a talented Pokémon Trainer and became Gym Leader here."

"So, what brings you down here?" Viola asked. "Looking for all the latest news in Santalune City?"

"Nah, just thought I'd pop in before the big tournament on Route 4 started," Alexa replied. "Figured I had time before I had to start covering the events there."

Suddenly, Serena came barging in, having just changed into her usual clothes, sans her hat. "Hold on a second! Did you say there's a tournament going on nearby?"

"Uh, yes, the Parterre Way Open," Alexa answered, sweat-dropping a little. "Several Trainers from all around Central Kalos, and even a few bordering cities, are going to be participating."

At that point, Serena's smile got so wide that a Fletchling could fly into her mouth. "OH MY GOD! You guys, we've GOT to enter!"

"**_HUH?!_**" Calem, Shauna, Brighton, and Tierno all asked.

Trevor put up a VERY fake smile, all the while muttering to himself, "Travelling is data, battling is data, EVERYTHING IS DATA...!"

* * *

**Pokémon Spotlight!**

Calem's Vivillon  
Ability: Compound Eyes  
Gender: Male  
Form: Modern  
Nature: Modest  
Characteristic: Scatters things often  
Attacks: Poison Powder, Tackle, Protect, Gust

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTES:_** Alright, before anyone asks, YES, this was my team for the Gym Battle. However, I was more fortunate than Calem, as Chespin's Rollout pretty much won me the whole battle and Vivillon never had to leave its Poké Ball. I COULD'VE written that as the actual ending, but that would've been so anti-climactic for a story, it'd be hilarious in how bad it was. Also, my Vivillon is Polar Form, but again, I don't want Calem's whole team and experiences to be just like mine.

Also, as you can tell, kind of an arc coming up involving a tournament on Route 4. This is one I've actually had planned for a while now, and there will be a few OCs involved to round out the Trainers involved in the tournament. Don't worry, they're all using attire pieces from the games (with a single exception), and I plan to give credit where due to my friends that said they'd like their characters to be in.

Anyway, check in next time as Calem, Serena, Tierno, Shauna, Trevor, Brighton, and several more prepare for the Parterre Way Open Pokémon Tournament. Ja né!


	8. Battle 8: An Amazing Maze Race!

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ **I do not own Pokémon. Pokémon is published and owned by Japanese video game company Nintendo, and was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996.**

**The following is a loose novelization of the events of the video games Pokémon X & Y. Several events, lines of dialogue, and Pokémon owned by the characters will therefore be different.**

* * *

Calem clenched a first around a Poké Ball as the entrance to the hedge maze path he'd entered was shut behind him. Likewise, the rest of his friends, and several other Trainers on the route, had all been placed into pathways, of which there were many, and each were given a bracelet with three tiny bulbs on them. As he took a deep breath to relax himself, a loud-speaker came on, echoing throughout the area.

"Hello, and welcome to the Parterre Way Open Pokémon Tournament!" an announcer called over the speaker. "This tournament is for up-and-coming Trainers, looking to test themselves and their Pokémon in various and unique battling scenarios! As such, the qualifying rounds will take place in the hedge maze that leads to the centre of Route 4, where the main tournament grounds have been set up! You will proceed through the maze to reach the tournament grounds! However, each of you has been given a bracelet, and the paths you've been placed in will have you encountering other Trainers! This is because the qualifying rounds themselves are a series of three 1-on-1 Single Battles in rapid succession! To enter the main tournament, you must win at least two battles and make it to the tournament grounds! If you lose or draw on more than one out of those three battles, you're automatically disqualified, though you will be allowed to observe the tournament from the stands!"

_Since I've only got two Pokémon, I'll have to be careful about my battles,_ Calem realized, unaware that he was being watched from above by a blue mouse Pokémon sitting on the hedges. _Because if Chespin takes a lot of damage in one battle and Vivillon gets knocked out in another, I'll only have a weakened Pokémon for the last match and could get disqualified._

"Trainers, ready?!" the announcer called. "Three, two, one, _**GO!**_"

With that, Calem dashed along the path in the hedge maze, quickly coming up to a fork in the road. Since using Flying-type Pokémon to see which paths led to the end were banned, he could only pick one way and hope for the best, so he made a quick turn right. As he did, he immediately came face-to-face with an orange-haired boy with blue eyes, pale skin, and freckles. He was wearing a red t-shirt and matching black jeans, boots, jacket, and fedora. A red and white feather poked out of the white brim of his fedora.

"Well, looks like it's Round 1 already, Chespin!" Calem shouted, tossing the Poké Ball in his hand to unleash his Spiky Nut Pokémon to the field.

"Poliwhirl, stand-by for battle!" the orange-haired boy yelled, tossing a Net Ball that sent a blue, bipedal Tadpole Pokémon with a black and white swirl on its belly. "Use Bubble Beam!"

"Chespin, Vine Whip!" Calem ordered, the little Grass-type releasing a pair of vines from his head that popped the light blue bubbles released from Poliwhirl's swirl and cracked across his body for good measure. "Follow that up with Rollout!"

"Poliwhirl, Bulldoze!" Calem's opponent commanded.

Poliwhirl clenched gloved fists as they glowed bronze before slamming them down, dashing at Chespin and tearing up the ground as he went. Chespin, in the meantime, rolled into a wheel and tore across the ground at the Tadpole Pokémon. The two attacks collided, kicking up a ton of dirt, but when it settled, Chespin bounced into the air and landed on his feet with barely a scratch on him, while Poliwhirl was knocked out cold. At that exact moment, one of the bulbs on Calem's bracelet turned green, while his opponent's turned red.

"Shoot, that didn't work out," the orange-haired boy said, recalling Poliwhirl. "Oh well, can still make up for it."

Calem grinned. "Still a ways to go and more Trainers to battle. What do you say we watch each other's backs?"

"Sounds good," the boy replied with a thumbs up. "Name's Jaros. Let's get going!"

Calem nodded, jogging after Jaros as the blue mouse on the hedges bounced after him on her tail. _Man, sure hope the others are doing just as well...!_

* * *

"Pikachu, Rock Smash!" Trevor shouted, Pikachu just managing to avoid the enemy Rhyhorn's Horn Attack and straightening his tail as it glowed orange.

"Chuuu-Pika!" Pikachu cried as he slammed his tail into the Spikes Pokémon's skull, knocking it out cold and earning Trevor a victory while his opponent earned a loss.

"Grace Xavier, you are not, but that was a fun battle," Trevor noted, Pikachu giving a V for Victory sign.

* * *

"Quacklin', let's go!" Tierno called, sending his Farfetch'd out to engage his opponent, Harmony, who could best be described as...colourful. She wore a green fedora over her short, bangless black hair with a pink flower pin attached, white glasses over hazel eyes, an orange exotic top, blue striped pants, red knee socks, yellow high tops, and had a purple tassel purse hung from her shoulder.

"Cubone, go!" Harmony yelled, tossing a Great Ball that opened to unveil a bipedal Pokémon with a golden brown hide, wearing a skull helmet and carrying a thick bone as a club.

"Quacklin', let's try Aerial Ace!" Tierno ordered, his Farfetch'd giving a quick twirl before taking off into the air in a white streak of light.

"Cubone, Smack Down!" Harmony commanded, Cubone charging a metallic gold orb of energy in his hand. He then chucked it at Quacklin', grounding the Wild Duck Pokémon.

"Quacklin', Swords Dance!" Tierno yelled, Quacklin' getting back up and spinning his leek.

"Bone Club!" Harmony shouted, Cubone rushing over and slamming his club harshly across Quacklin', knocking the leek from his feathers as he fainted. "Whoo-hoo! Way to go, Cubone!"

"Aw, dammit!" Tierno cursed, recalling his Pokémon. "Sorry, Quacklin'. I guess there's a time and a place for dancing, huh?"

* * *

"Fennekin, Overheat!" Serena cried, Fennekin's body glowing red as she built up energy before unleashing a massive column of flames on the opponent's charging Bunnelby, knocking it out almost instantly.

"Way to go, Fennekin!" Serena cheered, the Fox Pokémon leaping into her arms and nuzzling against her chest.

* * *

Brighton smirked, facing off with Shauna, the both of them having a green light on their bracelets from previous wins. "Just because we're friends, don't think I'm gonna go easy on you!"

Shauna grinned right back, clutching a Poké Ball. "Wouldn't dream of it! Panana, let's go!"

"Pansage, go!" Brighton called, the two Trainers releasing their elemental monkeys. "Pansage, Acrobatics!"

"Panana, Incinerate!" Shauna ordered, her Pansear taking a deep breath as he glowed white. Pansage leaped at the High Temp Pokémon, creating afterimages of himself as he tackled into Panana, but quickly got a face-full of white hot flames for his troubles.

"_**Fury Swipes!**_" the two Trainers yelled, their Pokémon exchanging and ducking each others paw swipes. Eventually, Pansage managed to get one through, catching Panana across the face.

"Now use Lick!" Brighton commanded, Pansage sticking his tongue out and dragging it across his opponent's face, the Pansear shivering as his body became paralyzed.

"Oh crap!" Shauna cursed. "Panana, try a Flame Charge!" Panana growled, trying to move, but couldn't get his body to cooperate.

"Bullet Seed!" Brighton yelled, Pansage unloading golden seeds from his mouth that barraged Panana, causing him to faint from the pain. "Awesome!"

"Aw!" Shauna moaned, recalling Panana to his Poké Ball. "I was hoping to go undefeated!"

"Well, you've still got one more battle to go," Brighton reasoned, Pansage nodding. "No shame in two victories."

"I guess," Shauna replied, rubbing her arm. "Oh well, that was a great match."

"Thanks," Brighton said with a grin. "Which reminds me, I've got something I gotta show you and Trevor when we get to the main tournament grounds."

Shauna smiled. "Well then, we better get there in a hurry! Everyone's probably way ahead of us!"

* * *

"Protect!" Calem shouted, Vivillon managing to erect a green force field to protect herself from a Twister launched by her opponent, a brown Bird Pokémon with pink, red, and yellow feathers called Pidgeotto. The battles were getting more intense as Trainers were meeting up in the enclosed paths. Just a few feet behind him, Jaros and his Gastly, a Ghost/Poison-type Pokémon resembling a ball of purple gas with a face, was battling a girl and her Fletchling, and a few yards away, two more Trainers were battling.

"Vivillon, Tackle!" Calem ordered, the Bug/Flying-type tackling Pidgeotto in the gut and knocking her to the ground, causing the Bird Pokémon to faint as the third light on Calem's bracelet lit up green. "Alright, perfect three wins!"

"Gastly, Dazzling Gleam!" Jaros called, his Gastly releasing a burst of bright, white light that knocked out Fletchling. However, from high above, the blue mouse Pokémon that had been following them from atop the hedges, started to feel a little dizzy as the light flashed in her eyes. As a result, she quickly lost her footing, crying out as she fell from the tall hedges.

"Oh no!" Calem cried, just barely spotting the Pokémon. Without thinking, he immediately dove over, catching the blue mouse as he tumbled across the ground. The Pokémon blinked in surprise, having expected to hit the ground, then turned slightly red as she looked at Calem's face.

"Hey, you okay, little one?" Calem asked, getting a shy nod. "That's good."

"Oh man, is she alright?!" Jaros demanded, recalling his Gastly as Calem nodded to him. "Man, that was close! I didn't even see her!"

"Yeah, wonder what she was doing up there?" Calem wondered aloud, pulling out his Pokédex and scanning the Pokémon as Vivillon landed nearby.

"_Azurill, the Polka Dot Pokémon,_" the Pokédex read aloud. "_Primarily living by water, this Pokémon can move quickly on land by bouncing on its big tail._"

"Were you watching the battles or something?" Calem asked, Azurill squirming a little while blushing.

Jaros chuckled. "I think it's more like she was watching YOU battle."

Calem blinked in surprise, Azurill seemingly confirming it by bouncing up onto Calem's shoulder. "Huh! Well, I guess you should probably come with me, then. After all, this hedge maze is dangerous with some many battles going on."

Azurill nodded, nuzzling cutely against Calem's face. The black haired boy chuckled, recalling his Vivillon as he and Jaros continued toward the end of the maze, or at least where they hoped the end of the maze lay. As they went, though, Calem noted some rain clouds forming nearby out of nowhere.

_Tierno,_ he thought. _Hope you're doing alright, buddy._

* * *

"Corphish, hang in there!" Tierno shouted as Corphish was knocked back by his opponent's stampeding Rhyhorn. "Use Bubble!" Corphish nodded, leaping up and pummeling his opponent with jets of foamy bubbles.

"Rhyhorn, use Horn Attack!" Rhyhorn's trainer, a dark-skinned boy wearing rollerblading gear, ordered. Rhyhorn charged forward, aiming his horn for Corphish.

"Corphish, use Aqua Jet!" Tierno roared, Corphish coating himself in water as he rushed at Rhyhorn, flipping in mid-air to collide with the Ground/Rock-type right between its eyes. The fast Water-type attack was too much for Rhyhorn, who fainted on impact.

"Yeah-ha!" Tierno cheered, the last light on his bracelet turning green. "Two outta three's good for me! Now let's find the exit and get outta here!"

* * *

Trevor sighed in relief, looking to his bracelet. With some well-placed moves, some well thought-out strategy, and a little bit of luck, Pikachu and Flabébé had won him all three matches. It was touch and go at times, but they'd managed it as a team, meaning all he had to do now was get to the end of the maze to enter the main tournament.

Making his way to a fork in the road, Pikachu pointed down the left path, Trevor smiling as Shauna and Brighton walked up. "Hey, you guys! How'd it go?"

"I won all my battles!" Brighton replied.

"I managed two out of three," Shauna added. "I guess that'll do."

"Awesome," Trevor responded. "Now we just need to get to the end. I sure hope the others did as well as us."

* * *

Serena smiled at her bracelet and the two green lights lit up on it. Thanks to Fennekin and Fletchling, she'd scored two victories, meaning she was good to enter the main tournament. Looking ahead, her smile grew wider as she spotted the maze exit. Standing there was a boy a little older than her, wearing a black and white cap with pink and white pins attached over short brown hair, a plaid grey buttoned down shirt over a light grey t-shirt, blue cuffed jeans, and black sneakers. He grinned as she approached, his green eyes almost sparkling at the sight of her bracelet.

"Two wins?" he asked.

"...Yeah?" Serena replied.

"Perfect," the boy said. "Name's Merrill. Been waiting here for someone else with two wins to show up. What do you say we see which one of us can enter the tournament undefeated?"

Serena smiled, drawing a Poké Ball. "Sounds good to me. Go, Fennekin!"

"Usagi!" Merrill shouted, tossing a white and red Premier Ball that released a brown fox-like Pokémon to face off against Fennekin. "Well, a fox for a fox, I suppose!"

"Aw, she's so cute!" Serena exclaimed, digging out her Pokédex. "I gotta know more about her!"

"_Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon,_" Serena's Pokédex explained. "_Thanks to its unique genetic makeup, this Pokémon can adapt to harsh environments by taking on different evolutionary forms._"

"Wow, unique is right!" Serena noted in awe. "Still, a battle's a battle! Fennekin, Ember!" Fennekin leaped up into the air, spewing out several small fireballs from her mouth at Merrill's Eevee.

"Usagi, Swift!" Merrill ordered, his Eevee's cream-coloured furry collar glowing white as she began to spin around, launching yellow stars into the sky. The stars impacted with Fennekin's Ember, the two attacks cancelling each other out. "Great! Swift again!"

"Fennekin, Light Screen!" Serena called, Fennekin projecting a yellow energy field around herself that halved the damage from Usagi's second Swift attack. "Okay, now try Hypnosis!" Fennekin nodded, her eyes glowing light blue as she sent multicoloured waves out toward Usagi.

"Dig!" Merrill yelled, his Eevee tunneling underground to avoid the hypnotic waves. She then burst out from under Fennekin, slamming her with hunks of dirt, mud, and rocks.

"Ember!" Serena shouted, Fennekin opening her jaws to hit Usagi with a barrage of fireballs, forcing her back and creating some distance between the two.

Serena wiped the sweat from her brow, sighing in relief. "Oh man, that was one heck of an exchange!"

"You bet!" Merrill replied, likewise trying to cool himself off. "Now, let's keep going!"

"You're on!" Serena called, just as Fennekin started to glow. "Whoa, what the-?!"

Likewise, on the other side of the field, Merrill's Eevee was glowing, the two Pokémon levitating off the ground. "Both of them?!"

The two fox-like Pokémon began to spin in mid-air as their glowing bodies expanded and changed, just as Calem, Azurill, Jaros, and Tierno arrived from one side, and Trevor, Pikachu, Brighton, and Shauna arrived from the other. Everyone watched in amazement as the light finally dimmed down, the two Pokémon touching down as their bodies finished changing dramatically. In place of Fennekin, a bipedal Fox Pokémon of similar colours stood. Looking to her side, her eyes glowed blue as she hauled a twig from the hedges psychically, placing it in her tail. Meanwhile, Usagi had grown into a pink, pale cream, and blue fox-like Pokémon, a bow on her left ear and a second connecting a pair of feelers to her neck.

"Whoa, who's THAT Pokémon?" Tierno inquired, pulling out his Pokédex.

"_Sylveon, the Intertwining Pokémon, and one of the evolved forms of Eevee,_" the Pokédex answered. "_When necessary, it can send a soothing aura from its ribbon-like feelers to calm fights._"

"Wow, my Fennekin evolved too!" Serena cheered, scanning her newly evolved Pokémon.

"_Braixen, the Fox Pokémon, and the evolved form of Fennekin,_" Serena's Pokédex declared. "_When entering battle, it plucks the twig from its tail, friction setting the twig alight._"

"Hot damn, I can't believe they BOTH evolved at the same time!" Jaros exclaimed.

Merrill grinned. "Well, what do you say? Wanna keep going?"

"You bet!" Serena replied. "I wanna see what my new Braixen can do!"

"Okay, Usagi, use Swift!" Merrill ordered, his Sylveon's feelers glowing as she shout out pink stars from them.

"Braixen, Fire Spin!" Serena called. Braixen immediately drew her twig as it lit from the friction, waving it around as she created a cyclone of flames that enveloped the pink stars, burning them away. It then smacked into Usagi, causing some serious damage as she was trapped in the burning twister. However, the Sylveon quickly spread her feelers out, the image of a silver moon appearing behind her. She then shot a pink orb of energy from her mouth, blowing the Fire Spin away and hitting Braixen hard, sending the Fire-type tumbling to the ground.

"What was THAT?!" Brighton demanded.

"I think it was Moonblast!" Trevor answered. "It's one of the most powerful Fairy-type moves!"

"Braixen, get up!" Serena cried. Within moments, Braixen hauled herself back up, just as her body became coated in flaming energy, the flames on its twig expanding.

"Whoa, looks like Blaze just kicked in!" Calem observed.

"Hey wait," Tierno said, "when she uses Blaze, isn't that usually when Serena calls for-"

"HIT THE DIRT!" Shauna screamed from the other side, everyone not involved in the battle gathering and ducking for cover, Pikachu covering Azurill's body with his own.

"Braixen, Overheat!" Serena ordered, Braixen's body glowing bright red.

"Usagi, Moonblast!" Merrill commanded, his Sylveon charging another of pink orb of energy. The two Pokémon quickly unleashed their attacks, Braixen breathing out a column of flames while Usagi launched the Moonblast. The two attacks impacted in the middle, creating a shockwave that kicked up dirt and dust all around and punched a hole in one of the hedge maze walls. When the dust settled, both Braixen and Usagi were knocked out, Serena and Merrill's bracelets getting a yellow light for their draw.

Calem nervously raised up from where the group was hiding. "Is it over?"

Serena helped Braixen up, who gave her a reassuring smile. "Oh good, you're okay."

"Usagi?" Merrill asked as he looked his Sylveon, getting a gentle lick. "Phew, you're alright. Guess it was a tie, huh?"

"Yeah, remind me never to try THAT again," Serena added from across the field.

"I'm pretty sure I'VE been doing that all along, and you never listen," Trevor noted as the group came out of hiding, Pikachu helping Azurill up as she blushed a little.

"Well, the good news is, the exit's right there!" Merrill exclaimed, hiking a thumb over his shoulder. "And no one's been here since I got here, so we'll probably be the first to qualify!"

"Great!" Tierno cheered. "Then let's get going!"

* * *

About a half hour later, Calem, Trevor, Pikachu, Shauna, Tierno, and Serena were assembled in a make-shift temporary Pokémon Centre being used for the tournament. A good thing, too, as it gave their Pokémon a chance to recover from the intense battles. Sure enough, they were among the first to qualify, along with Brighton, Jaros, and Merrill, thus taking up the first eight spots in the tournament.

"Man, that was rough...!" Shauna groaned.

"Yeah, well, if that was just the qualifying rounds, what the hell comes next?" Tierno wondered aloud before looking to Calem. "...Hey, what happened to that Azurill you were looking after?"

Calem scratched the back of his head. "I have no idea. After we got to the Pokémon Centre, she just kinda disappeared...I hope she's okay."

"I was kinda hoping you'd catch her," Shauna noted. "She looked like she'd be an adorable addition to the team."

"Pikachu, you said before you were chasing something that looked like a ball on Route 3, right?" Trevor asked his Electric-type, who nodded in confirmation. "Then I'd say it's likely that Azurill's been following us for a while now, which means we'll probably see her again soon."

"Great job, everyone!" the group heard Alexa call as she entered the Centre. "You've all managed to qualify for the tournament, and you gave me some amazing footage to use for my official coverage!"

Serena smiled. "Thanks. So, how does the rest of the tournament go?"

"Well, the 16 Trainers that made it through the maze with at least 2 out of 3 victories will now be matched up against each other at random," Alexa explained. "The battles from here on out will be 2-on-2 Double Battles, meaning each Trainer uses two Pokémon at once and can't make substitutions during battle."

"Wow, giving orders to two Pokémon at once could be tricky," Tierno noted.

"Still, sounds like a lot of fun!" Shauna exclaimed.

"Kinda makes me wonder, though," Trevor said, scratching his chin, "who are we gonna face first? Could be anyone in the tournament. We might even have to face each other."

"Guess we'll find out in a half an hour, when the main tournament gets started," Alexa replied.

Calem grinned. "Well then, I guess from here on out, we're all rivals then."

Serena nodded, holding her hand out. "Right! May the best Trainer win!"

Trevor, Calem, Shauna, Tierno all put their hands over Serena's, smirking confidently at one another as they mentally prepared themselves for battle. The next couple of days would be intense, and with plenty to learn for their journey, and all five were looking to leave with the win, no matter who got in their way.

* * *

**Pokémon Spotlight!**

Tierno's Farfetch'd  
Nickname: Quaklin'  
Ability: Keen Eye  
Gender: Male  
Nature: Jolly  
Characteristic: Somewhat of a clown  
Held Item: Stick  
Attacks: Swords Dance, Fury Attack, Leaf Blade, Aerial Ace

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTES:_** Okay, so, let's sound off the OCs introduced in this chapter! lol

Jaros is my own OC, based off my character's appearance in Pokémon X. That said, his team in this fic isn't exactly like mine, as a lot of them are already used by the main characters, and I wanted some variation, so instead, I mixed and matched between some of the Pokémon I used on my team in that game, like Gastly, and some of my favourite Pokémon, like Poliwhirl.

Harmony is N. Harmonik's OC, same details apply for her appearance and team as with Jaros'. And no, she didn't ask me to be in this fic, I asked her if she wanted to be, which she agreed to.

Merrill is my friend Shadowbird712's OC. He's based off his trainer from the games, and while I'm not sure if this is his in-game team or not, his team has a pretty distinct theme to it, which you'll probably be able to figure out pretty quick.

Finally, regarding Azurill, she's just gonna be following the gang around for a little bit, albeit not TOO long before the resolution.

But yeah, not much to talk about here, so let's call it for now. Next time on Pokémon X & Y: The Fanfiction, the tournament is officially underway as we meet even more OCs. Ja né!


	9. Battle 9: Battles and the Blooms!

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ **I do not own Pokémon. Pokémon is published and owned by Japanese video game company Nintendo, and was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996.**

**The following is a loose novelization of the events of the video games Pokémon X & Y. Several events, lines of dialogue, and Pokémon owned by the characters will therefore be different.**

* * *

Shauna smiled widely as she stood in the middle of the tournament grounds, the giant Parterre Way fountain erected in the background, and several stands full of spectators watching and cheering as the Trainers in the tournament filed in. She also managed to spot Alexa and several other journalists watching from their own section, and even Viola, taking shots with her camera from the stands.

"Wow, so many people!" Shauna exclaimed.

"Yeah, it almost looks like everybody in Central Kalos is either watching at home or came out here to see this!" Calem observed.

Serena giggled, pointing over the black-haired boy's shoulder. "You don't know the half of it!"

Blinking in confusion, Calem turned to look where Serena was pointing. To his shock, cheering from the stands was none other than his mom, holding up a sign that read "Go Calem! Make your mother proud!". The mere sight of her doing this made him blush so hard he thought his head was going to pop right off.

"Aw, dammit, Mom...!" Calem whined.

"C'mon, I think it's sweet of your mother to come all the way out here to cheer you on!" Serena insisted.

Trevor grinned. "This is perfect. Now I can show her how much I've improved since our battle."

Pikachu facepalmed, nearly falling off Trevor's shoulder, while Tierno sweatdropped and said "...Yeah, 'cuz YOU'RE the one she came to watch, not her son."

Before long, a man with purple hair, a thin purple mustache, and wearing a light pink suit came out to a podium set up on the sidelines. "Hel-LOOOOOOOOO, dear friends! Welcome to the Parterre Way Open, hosted by none other than...ME, Mr. Bonding!"

The crowd cheered wildly as Shauna just tilted her head in confusion. "Mr. who?"

"Apparently, he's one of the head minds that are developing a new method of raising Pokémon called 'Super Training'," Trevor answered. "This must be his way of getting the word out to sponsors and advertisers."

"Now, to go over the rules for this tournament!" Mr. Bonding went on. "The 16 Trainers standing before me all managed to qualify by making it through the hedge maze with 2 out of 3 victories, thus outlasting all others. However, all of the battles from here on out will be 2-on-2 Double Battles. This means that each Trainer chooses two of their Pokémon to battle with at once during a battle, and they cannot make substitutions during the battle. When both Pokémon of one side are rendered unable to battle, their opponent is declared the winner of that round, advancing to the next. When all other Trainers have been defeated, and only one Trainer is left standing atop the tournament finals, they will be given the prize: A Super Training Large Bag, a special training bag that's tried and tested by the elite of the Kalos Region, and is used for increasing your Pokémon's stats dramatically!"

"Knew it," Trevor muttered. "This whole tournament is just one big advertisement for Super Training."

Calem smiled. "Well, even if that's the case, battling lots of opponents from all over will be great experience, and should help a lot with our studies."

"And hey, if the bag works, I don't mind helping to get the word out," Shauna added, blushing. "Maybe they'll even get me to model for posters!"

"Now then, direct your attention to the big screen, as we will be displaying the set-up for the first round of the tournament!" Mr. Bonding declared, a large screen being erected that displayed the images of all 16 Trainers and scattered them about before lining them all up in brackets. "In the first bout, we'll see Roland vs Serena!"

Serena grinned, spotting Roland, a dark-skinned boy in rollerblading gear. "Looks like we're up first."

Roland smirked confidently. "Best for first? Kinda ass-backwards, but alright."

"In the second bout, Jaros will battle Harmony!" Mr. Bonding announced.

"Heard yer pretty tough!" Jaros exclaimed, Harmony giving him a quick nod. "Good, then this should be a fun battle!"

"In the third bout, Trevor will compete against Brighton!" Mr. Bonding declared.

Brighton fist bumped Trevor. "Well, wish it was the finals, but I guess we'll have to have our match right off the bat."

"Fine by us, right Pikachu?" Trevor asked the Electric-type mounted on his shoulder.

"Pika!" Pikachu replied, grinning boldly as tiny sparks flew from his cheeks.

"In the fourth bout, Rabbie will compete against Bridget!" Mr. Bonding went on, two schoolkids in yellow uniforms, likely from the same school as Brighton, gave each other a handshake. "In the fifth bout, Tierno will battle Skylark!"

"Which one's Skylark?" Tierno asked before catching glimpse of her. She had black, bob-styled hair, fair skin, icy blue eyes, and was wearing a blue and white striped tank-top, an aqua striped pleated skirt, an aqua ribbon purse over her arm, an aqua felt hat, and white riding boots. She gave a shy yet friendly smile to Tierno, causing his jaw to nearly hit the floor, completely gaga for the girl.

"In the sixth bout, Calem will go up against Joey!" Mr. Bonding announced.

Calem gave a high-five to the the youngster in the blue hoodie. "Joey, long time no see!"

"Time to see if you're still at the top percent you were when we battled!" Joey replied, smirking.

"In the seventh bout, Shauna will take on Louise!" Mr. Bonding declared.

Shauna gave a friendly wave to Louise, a red-haired girl in a white and blue dress with a blue hairband. "Good luck!"

"And in the final bout of the first round, Merrill will do battle against Charlotte!" Mr. Bonding finished, Merrill giving a handshake to Charlotte, who had refereed the Gym Battles Serena and Calem had with Viola. "Now, will all Trainers not involved in the first bout kindly report to the benches provided for all Trainers, and we will get the first round of the tournament underway!"

Calem gave Serena a quick pat on the shoulder as he and the others left. "Good luck, Serena!"

"Thanks, Calem!" Serena replied, smiling warmly to her friend before facing off with Roland, the two taking opposing sides of the battlefield drawn for them.

"Go Rhyhorn and Pidgeotto!" Roland shouted, tossing a Great Ball and a Poké Ball while spinning on his rollerblades. The two balls released his Pokémon to the field, Serena deciding to scan the latter with her Pokédex.

"_Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pidgey,_" the Pokédex described. "_This Pokémon is very protective of its territory, and will fend off any intruders with its sharp beak and well-developed claws on its feet._"

"Go Braixen and Fletchling!" Serena called, releasing her own Pokémon.

"What do you think the odds are she can win?" Jaros asked as the trainers took seats at their benches.

"Well, type advantage goes to Roland for having that tank of a Ground/Rock-type," Merrill replied. "But, having fought Serena myself, I can tell you that she's no pushover, and isn't gonna let the type disadvantage stop her."

"Those Rhyhorn are pretty tough, though," Tierno noted. "I battled another roller skater with one in the maze, and even with a type advantage, me and Corphish just barely got by with a win."

"C'mon, Serena, you can beat him!" Shauna cheered, oblivious to the facts her friends were tossing around.

"Braixen, use Fire Spin on Rhyhorn!" Serena ordered as the battle was underway, Braixen pulling the branch from her tail and lighting it. She then swung it around, creating a small twister of flames that surrounded Rhyhorn, damaging it little by little as it spun around him.

"That's one way to wear 'em down!" Calem exclaimed with a grin, completely oblivious as, sneaking around and watching him shyly, was Azurill, blushing a little at the sight of him.

"Rhyhorn, Dig!" Roland ordered, Rhyhorn tunneling underground to avoid the flames. "Pidgeotto, Quick Attack on Fletchling!" Pidgeotto cawed, streaking across the field and slamming into the much smaller Normal/Flying-type.

"Fletchling, Return Favour!" Serena yelled, Fletchling surrounded by a ring of heart-shaped energy before ramming Pidgeotto back, nearly knocking her to the ground.

"What's Return Favour?" Tierno asked.

"Return Favour, or just Return for short, is an attack that does more damage depending on the connection between Trainer and Pokémon," Brighton explained. "I guess Serena and Fletchling must be pretty close if the attack did THAT much damage."

Serena smiled at this achievement. However, she'd forgotten about Rhyhorn, who came tunneling up in front of Braixen and slammed dirt and stone into her face, knocking her back with the Super-Effective attack.

"Crap, can't take my eyes off the action!" Serena cursed. "Braixen, another Fire Spin! Fletchling, Flame Charge on Rhyhorn!" Serena's Pokémon nodded, unleashing their Fire-type attacks on Rhyhorn. While they weren't all that effective on the Spikes Pokémon from a type perspective, they still managed to do decent damage.

"Pidgeotto, Twister!" Roland commanded, his Bird Pokémon flapping her wings hard to create a cyclone of Dragon-type energy that blew hard on Braixen and Fletchling, doing severe damage.

"Fletchling, Roost!" Serena ordered, Fletchling landing to recover her strength. "Braixen, Psybeam!" Braixen thrust her branch forward, firing a magenta ray that hit Pidgeotto hard, knocking her out cold.

"Rhyhorn, Rock Blast!" Roland shouted, recalling his Pidgeotto. Rhyhorn's horn glowed silver, releasing a series of rock-like silver energy waves at Braixen, pummeling her one after another until she fainted.

"Oh no!" Shauna cried as Serena recalled Braixen. "Now it's one-on-one!"

"C'mon, Serena!" Calem yelled. "Don't give up!"

"Pi-Pika!" Pikachu shouted.

"Fletchling, use Flame Charge!" Serena commanded, her Tiny Robin Pokémon coating herself in flames before tackling Rhyhorn, knocking him back. "Follow it up with Aerial Ace!" Fletchling quickly did a somersault in the air before crashing down into Rhyhorn again, her beak catching him between the eyes. Despite his rock hard body, Rhyhorn collapsed from the attack, knocked out as the crowd cheered.

"And the winner of the first bout is Serena!" Mr. Bonding declared over the loudspeaker, Roland's image on the tournament brackets being X'd out.

"Nice battle!" Serena exclaimed, shaking hands with Roland. "You almost had me there!"

Roland nodded. "Yeah, but you definitely earned that win. Good luck in the quarter finals!"

"And now, the next bout!" Mr. Bonding shouted, Jaros and Harmony running out to replace Roland and Serena.

"Poliwhirl, Emolga, stand by for battle!" Jaros shouted, tossing a Net Ball and a Poké Ball that released Poliwhirl and a black, white, and yellow flying squirrel Pokémon to the field.

"Floette, Helioptile, let's go!" Harmony called, tossing a pair of Poké Balls that released a green and white Fairy-type holding onto an orange flower, and a yellow and black lizard-like Pokémon.

"Wow, check out all the new Pokémon!" Calem exclaimed as he, Trevor, and Shauna scanned the three new Pokémon one at a time with their Pokédexes.

"_Emolga, the Sky Squirrel Pokémon,_" Calem's Pokédex read aloud. "_They live on treetops and glide using the inside of a cape-like membrane while discharging electricity._"

"_Floette, the Single Bloom Pokémon, and the evolved form of Flabébé,_" Trevor's Pokédex explained. "_It draws out the power of flowers to battle. It appears and celebrates with an elegant dance when the flowers of a well-tended flower bed bloom._"

"_Helioptile, the Generator Pokémon,_" Shauna's Pokédex described. "_The frills on either side of its head have cells that generate electricity when exposed to sunlight._"

"Man, this is gonna be great info for the Pokédex," Serena said as she took a seat with her friends, none of whom had yet to notice Azurill getting closer to them.

"Not to mention, watching the evolved form of one of my Pokémon will be great experience," Trevor added, just as the competitors were signaled to begin.

"Emolga, Electro Ball on Helioptile!" Jaros shouted, Emolga taking off into the sky and charging up the electricity in his body into a sphere on the tip of his tail, launching it at Helioptile hard. However, despite the power of the attack, it only seemed to do moderate damage to Helioptile, who shook it off with ease. "...So, guess I was right: Helioptile's an Electric-type too."

"Next time, don't waste an attack finding that out!" Harmony suggested with a grin. "Floette, Sunny Day!" Floette smiled, waving her flower around and sending energy up into the sky that intensified the sun's rays over the field, Helioptile glowing brilliantly with power while also wincing slightly.

"That's weird," Joey said, looking confused. "Why does Helioptile look like she's in pain?"

"It's Helioptile's Solar Power," Merrill explained. "It's a risky Ability that turns the sun's rays into additional power for special attacks. The problem is, it also slowly but surely drains her health, meaning she's gotta put that new power to use right away, or she could get knocked out before she gets a chance."

"Helioptile, Thunderbolt on Poliwhirl!" Harmony ordered, the Generator Pokémon charging up an electric attack. "Floette, Fairy Wind on Emolga!" Floette spun her flower around, sending out a gust of pink-tinted wind that rocked Emolga in mid-air, just as Helioptile unleashed a bolt of electricity that blasted Poliwhirl hard, almost knocking him out.

"Poliwhirl, fight back with Bulldoze!" Jaros yelled, Poliwhirl raising his gloved fists as they glowed orange. He then slammed them down, knuckles first, into the battlefield, sending out a shockwave that slammed into Floette and Helioptile.

"Floette, Rest!" Harmony commanded, Floette laying on her flower and taking a nap as her health was completely restored, all the while Helioptile looked ready to faint at any moment. "Helioptile, recharge your batteries with Parabolic Charge!" Helioptile opened her frills, forming a sphere of electricity in front of herself that sent out lightning bolts across the field at any other Pokémon currently battling.

"Oh man, Parabolic Charge will do massive damage to Poliwhirl, and drain the health outta anything it touches!" Serena cried.

"Poliwhirl, Endure!" Jaros ordered, Poliwhirl slamming his hands down and enduring the attack, just barely surviving as most of his health was drained. Meanwhile, Floette was already fully recovered, and thus slept through the transfer just fine, but to the shock of everyone, Emolga didn't look hurt at all. In fact, his movements after being hit seemed a bit more energetic.

"Oh, crap!" Harmony cursed. "Your Emolga must have Motor Drive for his Ability! That means he wasn't hurt at all, and his speed increased from the charge!"

"Guess I wasn't the only one to waste attacks, huh?!" Jaros asked with a cocky smirk. "Emolga, show 'em your Electro Ball one more time!" Emolga spun around, releasing an Electro Ball that was even more powerful than the first, doing substantially more damage to Helioptile than before.

"That's right, Electro Ball does more damage the faster the user is than the opponent!" Trevor remembered, all while Pikachu observed the back-and-forth exchange of Electric attacks carefully.

"Poliwhirl, Bubble Beam!" Jaros commanded, Poliwhirl launching a barrage of light blue bubbles from the swirl on his belly. They pummeled Helioptile and Floette hard, knocking out the former and waking up the latter.

"Floette, Solar Beam!" Harmony shouted as she recalled Helioptile. The Single Bloom Pokémon immediately charged up the solar energy around her and released it into a massive blast of light, launching it at Poliwhirl and knocking the Tadpole Pokémon out cold.

"Emolga, Iron Tail!" Jaros ordered while recalling Poliwhirl, Emolga flying across the field as his tail straightened out and became coated with a shiny, silver steel. He then swung it hard into Floette, knocking her into Harmony as the Single Bloom Pokémon fainted from the Super-Effective attack, much to the crowd's disappointment.

"And Emolga takes the battle for Jaros!" Mr. Bonding called, Harmony's image on the screen getting struck out.

"Aww, poopie!" Harmony whined. "...Oh well, I guess that was a great match anyway."

"Agreed," Jaros replied, shaking hands with the colourfully-dressed girl. "We should do this again sometime."

Trevor grinned, looking to Brighton. "Well, looks like we're up!"

Brighton nodded. "Let's do it!"

With that, the two boys ran out to the battlefield as Jaros and Harmony returned to the benches. Pikachu didn't waste any time, immediately leaping off Trevor's shoulder and landing on the field, quickly joined by Flabébé. Azurill blushed even brighter at the sight of Pikachu, remembering how he'd shielded her from harm earlier.

"Pansage, Dedenne, let's go!" Brighton called, tossing a pair of Poké Balls that unleashed Pansage and a tiny orange hamster-like Pokémon with a long black tail. Trevor immediately held up his Pokédex at the sight of this new Pokémon, curious to know more.

"_Dedenne, the Antenna Pokémon,_" the Pokédex explained. "_By sending and receiving electrical waves through its whiskers, it can communicate with others over vast distances._"

"Dedenne, start off with Attract on Pikachu!" Brighton yelled, Dedenne winking at Pikachu as a wave of heart-shaped energy surrounded the Mouse Pokémon, causing him to fall instantly in love with Dedenne.

"Uh, what just happened?" Tierno asked.

"That's Attract," Skylark explained. "It's a move that makes Pokémon of the opposite gender temporarily fall in love with the user, making them unwilling to fight."

At the sight of this, and overhearing Skylark's explanation, Azurill immediately leaped up onto the benches, letting loose a stream of curses at Dedenne, who blushed in shock over such foul language. Calem's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the Polka Dot Pokémon, who'd pulled a disappearing act on him earlier.

"Whoa, Azurill?!" Calem asked. "Where'd you come from?!"

Trevor shook his head hard, getting over the surprise. "W-Whatever! Flabébé, use Nature Power!" Flabébé nodded, swinging her flower around as she started glowing with brown energy. The energy gathered into a Mud Bomb, which the Fairy-type fired at Dedenne.

"Pansage, intercept it!" Brighton ordered, the Grass Monkey Pokémon getting in front of Dedenne and blocking the attack, taking a little damage. "Now use Bullet Seed!" Pansage leaped up, unloading golden seeds from his mouth that nailed Flabébé, all the while Pikachu just stumbled around looking silly. "Dedenne, give Pikachu a Nuzzle!" Dedenne ran over, her cheeks filled with electricity, and nuzzled Pikachu, also shocking him with voltage.

Azurill looked utterly shocked and enraged. She took in a deep breath, clearly about to unleash some sort of attack on the Antenna Pokémon. Thankfully, Calem immediately spotted this, grabbed Azurill, and pointed her away from Dedenne. However, the black-haired boy had unwittingly chosen himself as the target, thus receiving a face-full of bubbles that knocked him to the ground, Azurill blinking in shock at what had happened.

"Calem, you alright?!" Shauna asked.

"I-I'm okay..." Calem assured his friend before looking to the horribly embarrassed Azurill, giving her a thumbs up. "Wow, that's one heck of a Bubble attack you've got there...!"

Meanwhile, back on the field, Pikachu looked to be getting over his infatuation with Dedenne, which did not go unnoticed by Trevor. "Flabébé, Protect! Pikachu, Discharge!"

"PikaaaaAAAAAAAAA-**CHUUUUUUUU!**" Pikachu cried, sending a massive blast of electricity all over the battlefield. Flabébé quickly erected a green force field, protecting herself, but Dedenne and Pansage were both almost knocked clean out of the field, despite both Pokémon being resistant to Electric-type attacks.

_My goodness!_ Grace thought, watching the battle rage on. _Pikachu's power is even stronger than the last time I saw it battle! Trevor's obviously been training hard with him!_

"Flabébé, Fairy Wind!" Trevor shouted, Flabébé spinning her flower to kick up a pink-tinted gust that knocked Pansage out cold. "Pikachu, Dig!" Pikachu leaped up, burrowing underground before popping up directly under Dedenne, smacking her with a pile of mud and gravel from under the field, causing her to faint.

"And Trevor wins with a flawless victory!" Mr. Bonding yelled as the crowd cheered.

"Aw man, I can't believe I lost 2-0," Brighton moaned, recalling his Pokémon.

"Yeah, but you definitely kept me on my toes," Trevor noted, holding a fist out.

Brighton grinned, bumping his own fist to it. "Yeah, good game. Next time'll be different, though."

The two boys headed back to the bench, Brighton giving high fives to his classmates, Rabbie and Bridget, as they took to the field. Rabbie called out a Pidgey, the pre-evolved form of Pidgeotto, and Metapod, a green Cocoon Pokémon, while Bridget summoned her Bunnelby and a beaver-like Pokémon called Bidoof. As Trevor and Brighton took their seats, Azurill bounced over, greeting Pikachu shyly as she blushed deeply.

"Uh oh, looks like someone's got a crush on Pikachu!" Shauna declared, grinning madly at how cute Azurill was being.

"So hey, what was that thing you wanted me and Shauna to see before?" Trevor asked.

"Oh yeah!" Brighton exclaimed, reaching into his backpack. "I found these in my attic. I guess they were kept by my grandpa when he was a Trainer, but since he didn't have any Pokémon that could use 'em, he said I could take 'em if I wanted."

The group all gathered around Brighton, while also making sure to keep an eye on the battle, as Pidgey scored an early hit with a Gust on Bunnelby, only to get her wing bitten by Bidoof. Brighton pulled out the objects in question: a trio of stones, one yellow with an orange flame pattern inside, one green with a leaf symbol engraved on it, and one emerald with a golden thunderbolt pattern inside.

"Wow, evolution stones!" Shauna exclaimed. "They can be used to evolve certain Pokémon!"

"Right," Brighton replied. "And, as it just so happens, the three of us each have a Pokémon that can use them. Pansage can evolve by using the Leaf Stone, Pikachu can evolve with the Thunder Stone, and Pansear can evolve with the Fire Stone. Now, I don't really think any one of our Pokémon are ready to evolve just yet, but it wouldn't hurt to hang onto these until the time is right."

"Whoa, speaking of evolution, check out the battle!" Jaros yelled, the group all looking to the battlefield. Sure enough, Bridget's Bidoof, the only Pokémon she had left as Bunnelby had been knocked out, was spinning in mid-air, glowing brightly as his body expanded. After a few moments, the glowing ceased, and Bridget's newly evolved Pokémon landed on the ground, growling menacingly at Metapod and Pidgey.

"Who's that Pokémon?" Calem asked, getting out his Pokédex.

"_Bibarel, the Beaver Pokémon, and the evolved form of Bidoof,_" the Pokédex answered. "_It is known for being an industrious worker, building its nest by damming streams with bark and mud._"

"Bridget's obviously been doing some training with that little guy!" Brighton observed.

"Correction: He's not so little anymore!" Harmony noted.

"Bibarel, use Surf!" Bridget yelled, Bibarel somehow summoning a tidal wave out of nowhere that smacked into Pidgey and Metapod, knocking them both out.

"And Bridget wins with a come-from-behind victory!" Mr. Bonding yelled, the crowd breaking out of their stunned silence to applaud.

"Man, the action's REALLY heating up!" Tierno exclaimed.

"Speaking of which, I think it's our turn, isn't it?" Skylark asked, smiling warmly as Tierno practically melted.

"...U-Uh huh!" Tierno mumbled, following the girl to the battlefield.

Serena facepalmed hard. "Ugh, Tierno...He needs to get out of Lalaland soon, or he's gonna be in huge trouble..."

Reaching the battlefield, Skylark gave a small bow to the audience before she drew two Ultra Balls, shocking Tierno out of his current state. "Fletchinder, Spritzee, time to battle!" Tossing the Ultra Balls, they both opened to unleash a Fire/Flying-type that looked like a grown-up Fletchling, and a pink Pokémon that looked like a bird fused with a whiff of perfume.

"Whoa, she used Ultra Balls on them?!" Calem demanded. "Wouldn't that mean they were already high-leveled when she caught 'em?!"

Tierno gulped, realizing the same thing. "...Umm...I think I'm in serious trouble...!"

* * *

**Pokémon Spotlight!**

Trevor's Flabébé  
Ability: Flower Veil  
Gender: Female  
Nature: Quiet  
Characteristic: Highly curious  
Attacks: Magical Leaf, Protect, Nature Power, Fairy Wind

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTES:_** Okay, let's go over the other characters introduced here real quick. The only OC here is Skylark, created by my friend DorkynProudofIt, who specializes in Flying and Fairy-type Pokémon. Otherwise, Bridget, Rabbie, Roland, and Louise are all based off NPCs in the game that you battle.

Anyway, sorry if it seems like this chapter was just total non-stop action. But hey, I did montage battles last chapter, so I decided to show the full battles this time. Next chapter, the first round wraps up, but with powerful trainers like Skylark, Jaros, and Merrill, do Calem and the gang even have a chance at coming out with the win? Keep reading to find out! Ja né!


	10. Battle 10: Finishing The First Round!

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ **I do not own Pokémon. Pokémon is published and owned by Japanese video game company Nintendo, and was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996.**

**The following is a loose novelization of the events of the video games Pokémon X & Y. Several events, lines of dialogue, and Pokémon owned by the characters will therefore be different.**

* * *

"Man, the action's REALLY heating up!" Tierno exclaimed.

"Speaking of which, I think it's our turn, isn't it?" Skylark asked, smiling warmly as Tierno practically melted.

"...U-Uh huh!" Tierno mumbled, following the girl to the battlefield.

Serena facepalmed hard. "Ugh, Tierno...He needs to get out of Lalaland soon, or he's gonna be in huge trouble..."

Reaching the battlefield, Skylark gave a small bow to the audience before she drew two Ultra Balls, shocking Tierno out of his current state. "Fletchinder, Spritzee, time to battle!" Tossing the Ultra Balls, they both opened to unleash a Fire/Flying-type that looked like a grown-up Fletchling, and a pink Pokémon that looked like a bird fused with a whiff of perfume.

"Whoa, she used Ultra Balls on them?!" Calem demanded. "Wouldn't that mean they were already high-leveled when she caught 'em?!"

Tierno gulped, realizing the same thing. "...Umm...I think I'm in serious trouble...!"

"C'mon, Tierno!" Shauna yelled. "Don't give up before the match even starts!"

"R-Right!" Tierno stammered, getting his game face back on. "Corphish, Quacklin', let's get it started!" Tossing a pair of Poké Balls, Tierno released his Pokémon to the field, all while Serena and Trevor scanned Skylark's from the sidelines.

"_Fletchinder, the Ember Pokémon, and the evolved form of Fletchling,_" Serena's Pokédex declared. "_When hunting, it expels embers from its beak that set the tall grass aflame, then pounces the bewildered prey that leap out to escape the fire._"

"She's a smart predator, no doubt," Serena observed.

"_Spritzee, the Perfume Pokémon,_" Trevor's Pokédex read aloud. "_It emits a scent that enraptures those who smell it. In the past, women of royalty carried a Spritzee as opposed to wearing perfume._"

"Sounds pretty unique," Trevor noted. "I wonder how she'll fare in battle, though."

"Corphish, Rain Dance!" Tierno ordered, Corphish dancing around as rain clouds formed. "Quacklin', Swords Dance!" Tierno's Farfetch'd spun his leek around like a baton, powering up his attack stat.

"Looks like he's not wasting anytime putting Skylark at a disadvantage!" Calem exclaimed, Azurill nodding in agreement while perched on his shoulder.

"Agreed," Jaros replied. "Rain Dance'll cut the power of Fletchinder's Fire-type attacks down, and boost Corphish's, while that Farfetch'd will be able to attack hard and fast right outta the gate."

"Yeah, but is it me, or does Skylark not look all that worried?" Harmony pointed out, Skylark's expression looking rather confident, as did her Pokémon for that matter.

"Let's make this fast!" Tierno yelled. "Corphish, Aqua Jet on Fletchinder!" Corphish leaped into the air, coating himself in water as he shot toward Fletchinder like a rocket.

Skylark grinned. "Quick Guard!" Fletchinder landed and stretched her wings out in front of herself. As Corphish was about to connect, a red shield surrounded Fletchinder, stopping the Ruffian Pokémon in his tracks. "Now, Fire Blast!" Taking a deep breath, Fletchinder immediately released a gigantic flame in the shape of the kanjī 大, burning Corphish and knocking him out in one blow.

"Holy crap!" Brighton shouted. "She fried Corphish in one hit!"

"Type disadvantage, weather disadvantage, and she still managed a one hit knockout!" Bridget exclaimed, gulping nervously. "I REALLY hope I don't have to face her in the next round!"

"Quacklin', use Leaf Blade on Spritzee!" Tierno commanded as the Wild Duck Pokémon ran in to attack the Fairy-type, his leek turning into a glowing green blade.

"Spritzee, Thunderbolt!" Skylark called, the Perfume Pokémon unleashing a blast of electricity that shocked Quacklin' hard, causing him to fall over as he fainted.

"Unbelievable!" Mr. Bonding yelled over the speakers. "Skylark wins with just two attacks!"

"No way!" Calem shouted in disbelief. "Tierno lost in a shut-out in the first round?!"

Tierno recalled his Pokémon, falling to his knees in utter shock. "I-I can't believe I got beat so easy...!"

"Tierno?" Skylark asked, walking up to the boy and extending her hand with a smile. "I'm sorry I had to eliminate you so quickly, but I didn't wanna disrespect you by holding back."

"Uhh, sure, I guess that makes sense," Tierno replied, blinking in surprise at how friendly Skylark was being after demonstrating such scary-high power. Finally, he got back to his feet, smiled his usual Tierno smile, and shook Skylark's hand graciously, the crowd cheering in approval.

"Man, Tierno's amazing," Jaros said with a grin. "I've never known someone to face a loss that devastating and take it like a man."

"Yep, that's Tierno," Shauna replied with a smile. "Nothing can dampen his spirits for too long."

"And now, for the next battle!" Mr. Bonding called.

Calem grinned, hopping off the bench. "Well, looks like it's my turn!"

Joey grinned, running out to the battlefield. Just as Calem reached the side opposite of the youngster, though, Azurill suddenly leaped off his shoulder, bouncing around on her tail in front of him.

"A-Azurill?!" Calem asked, surprised.

"So, starting off with Azurill, huh?" Joey inquired.

"Hold up, I haven't even officially caught her yet!" Calem called, only for Azurill to bounce higher to meet faces with the boy, showing him her enthusiastic smile. "...Uh, you sure you wanna do this?" Azurill gave a quick nod, which Calem returned. "Okay then. Chespin, back her up!" Tossing a single Poké Ball, Calem sent out his Spiky Nut Pokémon, who greeted Azurill in a friendly manner.

"Then I'm going with Vivillon and Zigzagoon!" Joey yelled, tossing a pair of Poké Balls to bring out a dark blue and white winged Vivillon, and a brown and cream coloured raccoon Pokémon. Calem immediately brought out his Pokédex, scanning the latter.

"_Zigzagoon, the Tiny Raccoon Pokémon,_" the Pokédex read aloud. "_A Pokémon with an abundant curiosity, it constantly shows an interest in everything, thus always walking in a zigzag fashion._"

"I'm worried about Calem using a wild Pokémon for this battle," Trevor noted. "How well can they be expected to work as a team here?"

"I guess we'll find out," Tierno replied, taking a seat next to his friend.

"Azurill, Helping Hand!" Calem ordered, the Polka Dot Pokémon touching her tail to Chespin and causing him to glow with added power. "Chespin, Rollout!" Chespin rolled up into a wheel, speeding toward Vivillon.

"Vivillon, Stun Spore!" Joey shouted, the Scale Pokémon releasing orange mist from his wings. Despite this, Chespin still managed to get a good hit in, heavily damaging Vivillon, but skidded out of control as he became paralyzed from the Stun Spore.

"Crap," Jaros muttered. "Without being able to build up momentum, Rollout can't do its maximum damage."

"Zigzagoon, Headbutt!" Joey commanded, Zigzagoon dashing across the field in a zigzag pattern before slamming headfirst into Azurill, sending her tumbling.

"Oh no, Azurill!" Serena cried.

"Azurill, you okay?!" Calem demanded, only for Azurill to get back to her feet with a VERY mean look on her face. She then proceeded to bounce off her tail at Zigzagoon, almost knocking him clean out of the battlefield.

"Whoa, she can hit HARD for a little mouse Pokémon!" Shauna exclaimed.

"I'll bet that Azurill has the Ability Huge Power!" Skylark replied. "It doubles the power of her physical attacks!"

"Not to mention she's got kind of a temper on her!" Merrill added. "That is one mouse you do NOT wanna piss off!"

Calem gave his head a quick shake, brushing off the shock and taking advantage of the situation. "Chespin, try a Vine Whip on Vivillon!" Chespin fought through the paralysis, whipping out a pair of vines from his head and cracking them across Vivillon's wings, knocking him to the ground. "Azurill, Bubble!" Azurill took in a deep breath before firing foamy bubbles at Zigzagoon and Vivillon, knocking them both out.

"And Calem takes the victory!" Mr. Bonding declared.

"WAY TO GO, CALEM!" Grace shouted from the stands, causing her son to blush with embarrassment.

"Man, you and Azurill were definitely the top percent!" Joey exclaimed as he recalled his Pokémon, jogging over to high five Calem.

"Thanks," Calem replied with a smile before kneeling down in front of Azurill. "So, how about it? Wanna make it official?"

Azurill nodded happily, to which Calem pulled out a Poké Ball. The Polka Dot Pokémon poked the ball with her tail, causing it to open and pull her inside in a flash of light. The ball didn't shake at all, quickly letting out the ding for successful capture.

"Alright, I got Azurill!" Calem declared, holding his Poké Ball up as the crowd cheered.

* * *

"Dun-Dun, use Ice Beam!" Shauna called, her Dunsparce unleashing a chilly blast at Louise's Psyduck, a yellow Water-type Duck Pokémon. Despite the type, disadvantage, Psyduck took massive damage, fainting as he fell onto his back.

"Litleo, use Ember!" Louise ordered as she recalled Psyduck. Litleo, a brown Lion Cub Pokémon, quickly heaved out a barrage of fireballs, wounding and burning Dun-Dun.

"Froabble, beat it back with Smack Down!" Shauna yelled, her Froakie charging a metallic gold orb of energy in his hand before chucking it at Litleo, knocking him out cold.

"And Shauna wins with her Froakie and Dunsparce!" Mr. Bonding declared, Shauna cheering with her Pokémon in victory.

* * *

"Ami, Rei!" Merrill shouted, tossing out his fox-like Pokémon to face off with Charlotte. One was a blue, serene looking Pokémon, while the other possessed bold, orange and yellow fur, resembling wisps of flame. Calem quickly dug out his Pokédex, scanning the two.

"_Vaporeon, the Bubble Jet Pokémon,_" the Pokédex described while pointed to the blue Ami. "_It has evolved to be suitable for an aquatic life. With cells similar to water molecules, it could melt in water._"

"And the other one?" Shauna asked as Calem aimed the Pokédex at Rei.

"_Flareon, the Flame Pokémon,_" the Pokédex answered. "_Its body temperature tops close to 900 degrees Celsius before battle. After inhaling deeply, it can blow flames increasing to almost 1,650 degrees._"

"That's more than enough to melt iron...!" Trevor pointed out, his eye twitching.

"Weedle, Goldeen, go!" Charlotte summoned, releasing Weedle alongside a white and orange Goldfish Pokémon with a horn on her head. One look at her opposition, though, and Merrill's Flareon merely rolled her eyes and laid down on the field, resting her head on her front paws.

Merrill sweatdropped. "Eheh, doing this again, huh? Whatever, I'm sure Ami can handle this one alone." Merrill's Vaporeon smiled and nodded, stepping forward.

"Huh, looks like Rei has a bit of an attitude problem," Harmony pointed out.

"On the other hand, Ami seems all too happy to prove herself to Merrill," Skylark added.

"Two-on-one should be a huge disadvantage, but...we'll see," Jaros noted, looking intrigued.

"Goldeen, use Horn Attack, and Weedle, use Poison Sting!" Charlotte ordered, wasting no time. Her Pokémon charged across the field, horns forward as they sped toward Ami.

"Ami, Double Team!" Merrill commanded, his Vaporeon vibrating her body as she created three illusions of herself, the four running around the field as Weedle and Goldeen were left to figure out which was the real one.

"Weedle, String Shot!" Charlotte yelled, the Bug/Poison-type spitting out thread across the field that tripped a pair of illusions up, causing them to disappear before the third Ami behind them leaped over the thread.

"Goldeen, Horn Attack that one!" Charlotte directed, Goldeen bouncing into the air and jabbing her horn straight down at the Vaporeon, only for her to vanish. "Wha?!"

"Ami, Water Pulse!" Merrill ordered with a grin, as the last Vaporeon, conveniently behind Weedle, charged up a blue, watery sphere of energy. She quickly launched it, knocking Weedle out before he could respond in time.

"Goldeen, take her out with Horn Drill!" Charlotte shouted as she recalled Weedle. Goldeen's eyes narrowed as swirling energy built up in her horn, eventually launching herself at Vaporeon and spinning in mid-air like a high-powered drill.

"Too slow!" Merrill called as Ami leaped at Goldeen, likewise spinning in mid-air and rolling around the attack, avoiding it gracefully.

"Water Pulse!" both trainers yelled, the two Water-type Pokémon unleashing twin spheres of watery energy. The Water Pulses collided, exploding into a small wave of water that soaked the field, including Rei, who woke up from her nap looking a bit irritated. The Flame Pokémon stamped her paws down, giving a death glare to Goldeen, all while Ami wisely decided to make herself scarce.

"Rei, good to go?" Merrill asked, his Flareon giving a small growl. "Okay, then use Flamethrower!" Rei took in a deep breath before unleashing a column of flames from her mouth.

"Goldeen, Water Pulse!" Charlotte called, the Goldfish Pokémon countering Flamethrower with her Water Pulse. However, despite the type advantage, the Flamethrower evaporated Water Pulse before the flames that were left shot through and burned Goldeen.

"Now, Flare Blitz!" Merrill roared, Rei charging across the field. As she went, though, the Fire-type Pokémon became coated in blue flames, essentially becoming a high-powered living fireball. Rei tackled into Goldeen hard, the flames around her exploding in their faces as Goldeen was knocked out, Rei likewise receiving recoil damage. She turned her snout up and walked away, unimpressed with Goldeen's resistance.

"A-And Merrill wins in an impressive showing!" Mr. Bonding proclaimed, the crowd roaring appreciatively. "And, with that, the eight Trainers advancing to the Quarter-Finals are Serena, Jaros, Trevor, Bridget, Skylark, Calem, Shauna, and Merrill!"

"Jeez, with Pokémon like that, Merrill's gotta be the favourite to win!" Bridget observed as Merrill and Charlotte shook hands.

Jaros grinned, adjusting his fedora. "Well, we'll see about that. I didn't come out here to bow out without a fight."

Tierno and Harmony sweatdropped, the former of which muttering, "Neither did we, but oh look..."

"Aw, cheer up, you two!" Skylark said, putting a hand on the two's shoulders. "I'm sure you'll do way better next time!"

Tierno blushed, scratching his cheek. "Eheh, well, if you say so..."

Calem smirked, watching as Merrill started to head back toward the benches. "Merrill...Whether we face each other in the tournament or not, I want a shot at him before this all wraps up."

"Get in line," Serena replied with a grin. "After our last battle, I've got unfinished business with him."

Shauna blinked in surprise, nudging Trevor. "Um, those two seem a bit too eager to battle someone as tough as Merrill, don't they?"

"Not at all," Trevor corrected, Pikachu likewise shaking his head. "Everyone here wants to prove that they're the best. If Merrill really IS the favourite to win, then that means they gotta go through him to prove themselves. Same goes for us."

* * *

A few minutes later, the group were assembled back at the temporary Pokémon Centre, healing up their teams after the exhausting first round. As they did, the doors flung open, and Calem had little time to react as Grace suddenly ran in, grabbing her son and hugging him tightly, much to his immense embarrassment and to his friends' schadenfreude-esque enjoyment.

"Oh, Calem, that was magnificent!" Grace cried as she held her son to her bosom. "It reminded me so much of your father and I's battles back in the day! I just know he'd be so proud of everything you've managed to accomplish in such a-"

"Mom...can't...breathe!" Calem gasped, leading to an embarrassed Grace releasing her death-grip on her son. "...And thanks. It means a lot to me that you came."

"Well, after I'd heard about your victory in Santalune City, I just HAD to come to cheer you on in the tournament," Grace replied with a smile.

"How'd you know about that?" Tierno asked.

"I told her all about it," the group heard Alexa declare as she walked in. "Calem Xavier. I KNEW your name rung a bell with me."

"Wait, don't tell me...?" Serena started to say.

"Yep!" Alexa responded with a broad smile. "Me and Grace here are old friends. I used to report on her races whenever she came to the Kalos Region back in the day."

"Is there anybody in Kalos you DON'T know?" Calem asked, surprised.

"I guess I AM rather well-known here," Grace admitted, blushing in embarrassment. "And here I thought coming to Kalos was a good way to get away from all the fame of the glory days. Pretty silly, huh?"

_Jeez, they really ARE practically the same person,_ Trevor realized. _She's way more experienced, but she's not completely immune to the same air-headed mistakes as Calem. Or rather, I suppose that's where HE gets it from._

"So hey, when do we find out our next opponents?" Shauna asked.

"The quarter finals start in about an hour, just enough time to give everyone time to recover after the last battles," Alexa replied. "Everyone will get randomly paired together again, and the battles will get underway. And once the Quarter-Finals are over, everyone has the night off, and the Semi-Finals pick up after lunch tomorrow."

"Well, whoever I'm paired up with, I'm ready to make it clean past them," Trevor proclaimed.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu said confidently.

* * *

Around an hour later, Trevor and Pikachu weren't quite as confident, for of all opponents that they could get randomly matched against, it was the one who steamrolled over Tierno with seemingly zero difficulty: Skylark. The powerful yet friendly girl gave an equally friendly wave, causing the two to gulp as they found themselves having to eat their words.

"Looks like it's you and me to kick it off, huh Shauna?" Calem asked, grinning confidently.

"Yep, looks like a rematch from our battle all the way back at the beginning of our journey," Shauna replied. "Just so you know, though, I've gotten WAY stronger since then."

"And don't I know it," Calem noted, shaking Shauna's hand. "Good luck."

Serena smiled, approaching Bridget. "It looks like we've been paired up. I'm definitely looking forward to battling that Bibarel of yours."

"And I'm looking forward to seeing what your Pokémon can do up close and personal, too," Bridget responded, giving a thumbs up.

Jaros gave a small chuckle. "Well now, look who THAT leaves." The redhead turned to face Merrill, who stared him back in the eye, the tension so thick you could poke it with your finger.

"May the best man win," Merrill declared, beaming with confidence.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Jaros replied, running his finger across the brim of his fedora as everyone realized, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if they thought the first round was intense, they hadn't seen ANYTHING yet...

* * *

**Pokémon Spotlight!**

Calem's Azurill  
Ability: Huge Power  
Gender: Female  
Nature: Naughty  
Characteristic: Highly curious  
Attacks: Bubble, Bounce, Helping Hand

* * *

**_AUTHOR'S NOTES:_** Okay, couple of things I should take note of. First off, as I failed to mention last chapter, Return Favour is the only case where I'm referring to an attack by its Japanese name. Why am I doing this in the first place? Because it's redundant as all heck to have the attack named 'Return' when the word 'return' is also a commonly used command given when recalling Pokémon to their Poké Balls. On that note, the only reason I haven't used that as of late is because the battles in the past couple of chapters have been either Double Battles or rapid-fire Single Battles, and writing that in slows the action down.

Speaking of action, before anyone asks, the reason I cut down most of the action between Shauna and Louise is because there wasn't really much I felt needed to be shown, other than Psyduck and Litleo's Pokédex entries. Well, there's plenty of occasions where I can show them, and I wasn't exactly planning on having Louise be anything special. I do apologize for that, as I don't especially like using characters as filler, but that's just how it came to be in this case. Sorry.

Finally, if you haven't noticed the trend of Merrill's team, I'll spell it out for you: His team is made up of Eeveelutions named after the Sailor Senshi from the original Japanese manga of Sailor Moon. Likewise, each one also knows at least one attack shared by their counterpart, except in the case of Ami. The original plan was for Merrill's Vaporeon to know Bubble Beam, but we'd forgotten that Vaporeon hasn't been able to legally learn that move in YEARS, no thanks to a certain character in the anime. Thus, I substituted it for Water Pulse.

Anyway, check in next time as the tournament rages on into the Quarter-Finals, and we learn which four Trainers will be moving on to the Semi-Finals. Ja né!


End file.
